Portfolio Center Blog: Advertising

An Introduction to Archiving Your Work

What are Archives?

Archives refer to any collection of records, as well as the location of the collection. In order to truly keep an archive, copies of records are kept in separate location. This is known as redundancy. Duplicates protect the original record in event of a disaster, technical or natural, destroys an original. Most copies are in a digital format, which usually is used for the web, allowing a greater audience to access the records.

Why do I need to keep an archive of my work?

For you, the important part of this is to keep a copy of your work in a digital format, and to make sure that copy is stored in a separate location. This way, if something happens to the original, you will have a copy. The digital copy of your work will also help you as you graduate, and produce a final portfolio or reel reflecting your own body of work. Many seniors use these files for their professional web sites or DVDs that they construct with the help of the Portfolio Center.

Storing Original Work

Since work by students at Columbia College Chicago is varied, we will not address specifics of how to archive a painting, sculpture, or other three dimensional materials. We will, however, give you some general ideas for storing work. Most people find that the room with the greatest storage capacity is a basement storage area. These places can be the worst for keeping work, as there is generally a high level of moisture. Over a relatively short period of time, damage can become noticeable through yellowing of pages, fading of colors, and even growth of mildew.

The location you choose should be relatively dry, free from excessive dust and dirt, and out of any direct sunlight. This means that typically a shelf in a closet will work for you. Avoid floors, or bookshelves near a bright window. If possible, purchase an acid-free storage container. Most of these are available at art supply stores. These are perfect for keeping smaller paintings, and most sizes of photographs and documents. What is acid-free? Many plastic products and glues that are used contain acid. Even over a relatively short time, this can affect the integrity of what is stored next to it. The words ‘Archival’ and/or ‘Acid Free’ are typically displayed prominently on these items. The cost difference between non-archival and archival material is usually nominal. Books or larger items may be best stored in plastic sleeves, which also can be purchased at art supply stores.

More information regarding preservation of physical work can be found on the Columbia College Chicago's Library Archive site.

Documenting Work

Making physical copies of paintings, sculptures, or clothing you created may be nearly impossible. In this digital age, the best option is to make a digital copy of whatever you have. If you work in a digital format, this isn’t that difficult. Videotape is the obvious choice for any time-based art form, but still images can show details that can enhance your documentation. So you want to copy your work, but you don’t have access to a still or video camera. If you are a senior, you can contact the Portfolio Center for assistance with documenting your work. Find more information about Portfolio Production (pdf) from the Portfolio Center’s website.

If you are not a senior, you may want to review the guidelines on our site (in some instances, you may qualify if you aren’t a senior). Some departments may provide resources for photographing or videotaping your work, providing facilities or giving demonstrations on how to do this. Another way to find someone to help is by posting flyers in the Photography, Film, or Television Departments. Dorms are a great place to meet fellow students who may have the skill to assist you in documenting your work. Many students are looking to assist other students in this area. Providing compensation is the best way to ensure that work gets done. You could offer monetary rewards, or trade some of your work to pay for the services.

When you find a student to assist you, make sure that you do not turn over your original work. The best practice would be to meet with the individual at the time they would do any photographing. This not only creates less of an opportunity for your work to be lost or damaged, but will let you in on how the process works.

Documenting your work is not the time to be artistic. If you are doing still photography of the work, you want to have even lighting, usually from the side to avoid any glare. Framing should center on the object. You want to be as straightforward with your images as possible. This will let the work stand on its own strength.

Storing Digital Copies

Once you have your work documented, or if your work is already in a digital format, you need to store the digital files. Many students make the mistake of only saving the files on a CD or DVD. The problem with this method is that many CDs or DVDs have a life of only 5 years. Glues that hold the recorded layer to the plastic can give out, especially the inexpensive spindles you purchase at office supply stores. Markers that most people use to write on the discs contain acids that can speed up this process.

CD-RW and DVD-RWs create a new set of problems, as the more you re-record on these discs, the more chances your files may corrupt. These discs also fail to hold the integrity of the original file, and you may experience a loss of resolution.

It is important to understand that a CD or DVD should only be considered a method of delivering your files, not a method of storage. The best way to store digital files is on a hard drive. Some people store all of their images on their computer. This is problematic when your hard drive crashes, as you may lose all of your files. File sizes can also eat up your storage space.

The ideal method of storing your digital files is to purchase a hard drive that is dedicated to storage. Many affordable options are available these days, most under $300. Of course, if you are storing movie files, you will need a much larger drive. For this ideal method, your storage drive will be backed up either on your computer or a second drive. This may become cost prohibitive to many, so we will outline the next best method.

The second best method is to store your files on the storage drive, and make CD or DVD back ups. If you do this, make sure you purchase metal discs, as the glue is much better. These discs can have a life of up to 10 years. Silver discs are the most affordable and readily available. The cost difference between these discs and the budget discs is not drastic. For labeling your discs, purchase an acid-free marker, available in many camera stores. If the hard drive purchase is out of the question, let’s look into the budget solution to storing digital files.

The third best method of storing files is on CDs and DVDs. We already mentioned why this isn’t the ideal method, but if you are on a tight budget, this is the way to go. Remember though, only by metal discs, no rewritables, and make sure you use an acid-free marker. This will work for you until you can purchase a storage drive for your computer.

A few words about file formats

The most common formats for saving image files are JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group), GIF (Graphics Interchange Format), and BMP (bit mapped). For movie files, MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group), and audio files MP3 and WMA (Windows Media Audio). All of these formats are considered lossy, which is a fancy term meaning resolution is lost when saving in this format. What happens in the creation of these files is that your computer runs an algorithm, also known as a codec (for compression/decompression), to compress the information into a usable size. While this helps with storage space, you risk losing important information. Unless your original image is in one of these formats, you may want to choose storing your images in one of the following formats. These are generally considered lossless, meaning there is little or no resolution lost.

Preferred Storage Formats for Digital Files

This list is intended to give you a starting point for file saving. There are many more options, but these are good places to start.

Note that when storing your files in one of the above formats, the file size can become very large. You may not be able to store these files without an external storage drive. If you need to keep a smaller version of your file, make sure compression is at a minimum.

Movie Files

Movie files will no doubt rapidly take over your hard drive. A five-minute movie, uncompressed, could be as large as 20 gigabytes. A solution to this is to record a copy of your movie on a DV tape (Digital Video). This records a digital version of your file on a tape. The only drawback to this is unless you have a DV player, you won’t be able to watch the movie again. Here are a couple of ways to back up your movies.

Best-case scenario is to save an uncompressed version on a storage drive, and make a back up on a DV tape. This allows you to have two copies, uncompressed.

Second best scenario is to record a copy to DV tape, and save a compressed copy on either your hard drive or a DVD-ROM. A DVD-ROM can store up to 4.7 gigabytes, which may work for a compressed movie.

Some people are under the impression that an authored DVD is the same as a DVD-ROM. This is not true: An authored DVD is one that is playable in a DVD player and usually has a menu. All files on this type of DVD are compressed, and while it is convenient for delivery of your files (viewing), it is not the best way to store your files.

A DVD-ROM is more like a CD-ROM. They can be the same blank disc as a regular DVD, but you use them like a CD. Drag and drop your files, then burn the disc. Note that you must have a DVD burner on your computer in order to create DVD-ROM discs.

Digital File Naming Conventions

The way you name your files can have a drastic effect on compatibility between computers and the integrity of the file. Below are a few guidelines for you to follow.

Following the above conventions can assure compatibility with multiple platforms and older software programs.

What not to archive

Many classes give you footage from existing movies or images from existing advertisements to work with. For example, a Television student may have footage from the British Television Show Brightwolf; a Film student may have used Law and Order: SVU for an editing project; or an Advertising Art student may have pulled images off the internet for a class ad campaign. While you may want to save copies of these until you create more advanced work, you typically want to avoid using copyrighted material in your final reel or portfolio. For more information regarding this, check with your instructor or our website to find a Portfolio Advisor in your area.

Your next step

Review the work you have and determine which you would like to archive. If you need assistance with this, review your options with an instructor, or an Industry Expert through the Portfolio Center. Once you have choices made, document what you can into a digital format. As you save your work, subscribe to the Portfolio Center blog to get the latest announcements on other workshops about archiving. When you are a senior, sign up for Portfolio Production, and we can help you put it all together. Once you have your work packaged in a professional manner, sign up for Show Off events to show your work to visiting professionals. And don’t forget, the Portfolio Center Archive is always looking for submissions. Students, alumni, instructors, and employers view the online Archive. Now go out and start saving your work.

Dirk Matthews is the Assistant Director of the Portfolio Center and an adjunct faculty member in the Film/Video Department of Columbia College Chicago.

July 29, 2007

Career Resources from The Creative Group

Creative recruiting companies want to find new talent for their clients. That's their job. They want to look at good work. They also want to let you know what they think good work is. The Creative Group is a superb example of giving marketing and advertising talent an inside scoop on what is expected in the industry in terms of portfolios, resumes and interviewing. The TCG website has a career resources section with articles on creating a winning portfolio and preparing for interviews. But wait there is more. The company also has an eZine that includes a career corner and an archive of articles with topics ranging from freelancing to tips for creating an e-book to business card blunders.

Come on. They’re basically willing to spoon feed you. Open your mouth and eat (the knowledge). Mmm, mmm good for you.

Posted by mcooper at 12:07 PM

July 23, 2007

Photography and Illustration Industry Expert Kourtney Hoffman

Kourtney is an art buyer at Y&R Chicago, an ad agency representing brands like Miller, Sears, Hilton and numerous Pro-Bono accounts. After receiving her MA in Photography from Ohio University, Kourtney first worked as an assistant and studio manager for Banna Photography, where she gained production experience working with clients such as GNC, Philip Morris and State Farm Insurance, to name a few.

*Availability: Tuesdays between 6:00PM-8:00PM.

All sessions are by appointment only. If you're interested to meet with an Industry Expert call 312.369.7280 for details.

---

Q: Whoa there. What are Industry Expert sessions again?

A: It's a service provided by the Portfolio Center that pairs students with working professionals in their field. An Industry Expert helps you understand what materials to put in a portfolio (and what to leave out), how to package and present your work, and how you'll know when it's ready for prime time.

Posted by mgreen at 11:30 AM

July 7, 2007

Portfolio Polish: Copywriting

A portfolio is a work in progress that should grow and change throughout your professional life. Sound daunting? It's not.

Check out freelance copywriter John Kuraoka's tips on how to take your copywriting portfolio to the next level. If you're still a student or a recent grad, skip item one and focus your attention on the rest of the tips. If you're looking on polishing what you have with a few years of experience under your belt, it might all be relevant to you.

Posted by eeaston at 12:12 PM

June 25, 2007

Marketing your work with a Case Study Portfolio

On June 11, 2007, marketing and public relations students visited the Portfolio Center to discuss strategies for building a case study-based portfolio. We called in reinforcements to help with the task. Professionals Kimberley McArthur, a senior member of Edelman's Tourism & Lifestyle and Multicultural team, and Tina Dugas, senior associate with the executive recruitment firm Bloom, Gross & Associates imparted a multitude of advice upon students. We’ll share a few of the highlights with you.

Case study portfolios are easier to piece together than you may think. The most important detail to remember when creating any portfolio is; in the words of Kimberley, “Show me, don’t tell me.” Case studies provide an excellent medium for you to brag about your experience in brief detail. A case study should include the following:

-Title of the project

-Your role in the project

-Project description in the form of a problem/solution model.

-Photos, graphics, and/or documents that support or show the outcome of the project

Students should include projects beyond classroom work in their portfolios. Get out into the world and participate in jobs, internships or volunteer work that will grow your skills sets. Tina mentioned that, “Students are in the fact finding part of their careers and should be open to various opportunities in order to gather as much information about the industry as possible.”

Tina and Kimberley both agree that students should value their current knowledge base. Think about all the projects you’ve worked on. Create case studies using the elements listed above. You’ll probably be very impressed with yourself when you discover that you’ve done more than you thought.

One last note from Tina; “Reach out to professionals in the industry. They want to help you.” We say, reach out to the Portfolio Center. We want to help you too.

Posted by mcooper at 10:55 AM

June 19, 2007

Tips for a successful job search from Bloom, Gross & Associates

We made new friends with Tina Dugus, senior associate with the executive recruitment firm Bloom, Gross & Associates, when she participated in one of our portfolio brainstorming sessions with students. She left behind a nifty brochure titled: Tips for a successful search experience (PDF). It’s basically a brief guide on what creative recruiters expect from you and what you should expect from them. Although you may dream about searching the internet and finding a long list of marketing, advertising or public relations jobs (and that may happen); the reality is many companies prefer to use recruiters in their search for talent. Honestly, it saves employers the headache of weeding out the less talented. Assuming you have solid work, the more knowledgeable you are about recruiting practices the better prepared you’ll be to land a job and develop strong relationships with recruiters.

Another good resource that we found on Bloom, Gross & Associates’ website is PR Week’s 2007 salary survey (PDF). This is a MUST read if you have questions regarding salary, quality of life and the general job market for the public relations industry. One of the more interesting sections described the PR industry as a jobseeker’s market due to abundant opportunities and high demand. You’ll have to read the document to find out the rest.

Posted by mcooper at 8:33 AM

May 22, 2007

On the Lot with Mike Chait '06

We met Mike Chait '06 when film advisor Ritch Barnes pulled one of us into his office to see Mike's reel. It was incredible. Not just because Mike has a penchant for pulling off Hollywood-esque production quality, but because Mike knew a little something about cutting together an actual Director's reel - something more than just a series of pieced together film segments. We'd like to think Mike's reel took some shape from the several Show Off sessions he took part in, but it probably had something to do with his talent as a filmmaker as well.

That talent will be on display as part of the Steven Spielberg and Mark Burnett project, The Lot, a competition style reality series based around a select group of up and coming filmmakers. Mike is not just the only Columbia grad in the show, he's the youngest contestant as well. You can see Mike on The Lot's pilot episode (..and maybe longer depending on how far he gets), airing Tuesday, May 22nd at 8pm (CST) on FOX.

If you're wondering just what Mike had to show to impress Spielberg et al, it's online as part of the show's contestant capsule. His work is also being featured online as part of Sundance & Sci-Fi channel's exposure film contest. His latest reel is in the Portfolio Center (623 S Wabash, Room 307), if you want to stop by and see it, please do.

We'd also like to dig a little at all those advertising & copywriting students who didn't apply for our "Get Your Spot Shot" contest. Not only did you miss out on a funded :30 spec spot, you missed out on the opportunity to have Mike direct it. So there.

Congrats Mike. We hope you'll remember us when you're big.

Posted by mgreen at 2:47 PM

May 7, 2007

Photo Doc Day | May 18th by appointment

On Friday, May 18th, Columbia students and recent graduates will have an opportunity to get their portfolio samples documented by advanced/expert photography students for free. Fashion design, product design, flatwork and paintings, headshots, portraits, sculpture, packaging . . . if it fits in the door, we'll get it shot for you.

The Photo Studio is at 72 East 11th Street on the 6th floor. You may sign up to work with a photographer at either 10 a.m., 1 p.m., or 3 p.m. Lights go out at 5 p.m.

Call 312-344-8660 to sign up. Your work must be organized and absolutely ready to go.

The maximum number of items you may bring is 10. If you need special props and/or special materials, you must bring them. We'll provide you with a CD of your images.

You MUST sign up in order to attend.

This opportunity is open to all currently enrolled students of Columbia College Chicago and May 2007 graduates.

Posted by kscott at 12:04 PM

May 5, 2007

Business Card Day | May 17th by appointment

The best portfolio in the world won't help you get work if employers can't figure out how to get in touch with you when opportunity knocks. Get a business card. One that you can be proud of.

To sign up for a design session on May 17th with one of Columbia's finest, call 312-344-7280.

This opportunity is open to all currently enrolled students of Columbia College Chicago and May 2007 graduates.

Posted by kscott at 11:51 AM

May 3, 2007

AdStock | Symposium on Manifest Day, May 11th @ 11am

Graduating seniors with portfolio samples that reflect achievement advertising can make an appointment to get portfolio feedback and advice from several accomplished professionals from their field.

Professional guests:

Damon Davis, Sr VP/Creative Director with Global Hue

Elaine Perri, Creative Director with Energy BBDO

Miguel H. Gonzalez, VP, Group Creative Director with Draft | FCB

Hattie Snider, Creative recruiter with Draft | FCB

This discussion is open only to December 2006 and May 2007 graduates of Columbia College Chicago.

*This session will be held on the 2nd floor of the University Center, 525 S State Street. Participants must call 312.344.7280 to make an appointment.

Posted by mgreen at 4:08 PM

April 26, 2007

Portfolio Night | May 3rd

May 3rd is a big day for you. First, you'll be at AdStock (at 9am) to meet with a number of recruiters and creative directors coming to see your work and share their advice with you. Later that evening, the good people at I Have an Idea have put together a mega-list of ad creative head honchos to look over your work.

Portfolio Night costs $35 (money well spent), and you'll need to get your tix ahead of time.

Posted by mgreen at 2:08 PM

April 24, 2007

AdStock | May 3rd

Know what AdStock is? It's a must for students who want into advertising, events, marketing or public relations.

If you aspire to work in the ad, marketing, event or pr world, this is your chance to meet over fifty professionals from some of the biggest agencies and organizations in the Midwest. Professional guests visit AdStock to meet our students, look over resumes, portfolio samples and to give you some much needed career advice. They're also scouting talent for internships and full-time positions.

Each year a number of students find work directly from connections they make at AdStock. This could be your year. So look sharp, bring a resume, your card and your portfolio, and we'll see you there.

Our 2007 guest organizations:

8 Days A Week

AJ Wright & Associates

Aware Records / A-Squared Management

Bacon's Information

Campbell Ewald

Centro

The Chicago Bears

The Chicago Blackhwaks

Chicago Convention and Visitors Bureau

Chicago Park District

Clear Channel

Comcast Spotlight

Crawford Broadcasting

The Creative Group

D|C Inc

DDB Chicago

Dig Communications

Draft | FCB

Flair Communications

Fleishman-Hillard

GMR Marketing

Hill & Knowlton

Jaguar Entertainment

Lanyap

Leo Burnett

Lynn Hazan & Associates

Marketing Werks

McSweeney & Antman

Paladin

Pepper Global

Porter Novelli

Publicity Club of Chicago

Saatchi X

The San Jose Group

Star Events

Talent Partners

Ticketmaster

Time Out Chicago

Universal Music Group

Upshot

Weber Shandwick

Zipatoni

Posted by mgreen at 4:44 PM

Let's Talk Portfolio: Good work doesn't always speak for itself | May 8th @ 6:30pm

Portfolio advisors Tom Kim and Sharon Potsch will visit to help students understand what an employer is looking for when they listen to emerging programmers and designers present their portfolio. Students can just observe, or bring examples of their work to practice presenting and interviewing with.

This session is designed specifically for programmers and designers (web, print, advertising, etc.).

This discussion is open to all students and alumni of Columbia College Chicago and takes place in the Portfolio Center. 623 S Wabash, Room 307.

Posted by mgreen at 3:18 PM

April 20, 2007

Show off to BuzzCo | May 1st @ 9am

The question isn't who should meet with Kelly Klawonn and Rebekah Levine from BuzzCo, but who shouldn't. BuzzCo has rightfully earned the reputation is a premium source for creative talent in Chicago and as a placement agency they match creative talent with agencies and studios in advertising, design, interactive and television post-production. Kelly and Rebekah will look at work samples and give students advice for packaging and marketing their work for Chicago's creative employment market. This session is open to seniors, graduate students and December '06 grads.

If you haven't already, register with the Portfolio Center and make sure you select the 'Show Off' option. Then, call 312.344.7280 to sign up to show off your work.

If you're reading this after this review came and went, check the Show Off page for a current schedule of guests.

Posted by mgreen at 2:46 PM

April 16, 2007

Chicago Creative Expo | April 21

Something for all creatives is the motto of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs/Chicago Artist Resource's annual Chicago Creative Expo. On Saturday, April 21, from 10AM-4PM at the Chicago Cultural Center, venders and seminars will be a plenty with resources on issues such as affordable housing, creating a business plan, protecting intellectual property, insurance and the list goes on. The event seeks to connect artists with tool and services available to them in Chicago. So go and get connected...it's FREE!

Posted by mcooper at 2:08 PM

March 27, 2007

An Abundance of Resources for all Artists!

Many of you may already know about this, but I've been here for nearly 7 years and had not, so I thought I'd pass along. The Chicago Artists Resource, a program of the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, is an organization that was created by artists for artists.

The amount of information they have available on their website is incredible! You can search the "Calls for Artists" section, find a collaborating artist for a large project, apply for jobs and internships, find a space, chat with other artists on their forum, read and write stories, and get the latest on all the artistic events in Chicago. I also noticed that one of our very own faculty members, Jeff Abel, is on their steering committee.

So check it out . . . you never know what you might find there that will help you add even more material to your portfolio!

Posted by kscott at 10:18 AM

March 25, 2007

Show Off to Euro RSCG | April 5th @ 6pm

Alum Vince Verdooren, Creative Director with Euro RSCG Chicago will visit to meet and review the work of emerging art directors and copywriters. Euro can accurately be described as a global mega-agency, providing communications solutions for clients such as Volvo, Air France, Pfizer, Nestle and Loreal.

If you haven't already, register with the Portfolio Center and make sure you select the 'Show Off' option. Then, call 312.344.7280 to sign up to show off your work.

If you're reading this after this review came and went, check the Show Off page for a current schedule of guests.

Posted by mgreen at 2:25 PM

March 20, 2007

Show Off to Y&R | March 27th @ 5pm

Y&R (formerly Young & rubicam) is one of the world's largest ad agencies, representing brands like Visa, Virgin Atlantic, Dr Pepper, Miller Lite, Sears, and Heinz among others. Art Buyer Kourtney Hoffman will visit Columbia to meet advanced photography and illustration students, and advise them on representing their body of work to art buyers and other advertising interests. This session is open to seniors, graduate students and December '06 grads.

If you haven't already, register with the Portfolio Center and make sure you select the 'Show Off' option. Then, call 312.344.7280 to sign up to show off your work.

If you're reading this after this review came and went, check the Show Off page for a current schedule of guests.

Posted by mgreen at 11:09 AM

March 13, 2007

Send us your web portfolio!

Graduating students & recent alumni:

Do you already have a web portfolio? If so, please email your website to us, so we can include it in our collection of online portfolios. Not only might you end up getting a call from a potential employer, but you'll be helping those who haven't yet completed their portfolios by giving them an excellent example of how it's done.

If you DO NOT have a web portfolio, and you are about to graduate or have graduated within the past six months, then let us help you create one! You can register for portfolio production by filling out our registration form.

* All web portfolios received will be reviewed before adding to our portfolio collection.

Posted by kscott at 10:03 AM

Reasons Writers Should Blog

According to Desire' M. Hendricks, author of "Top Ten Reasons Why Writers Should Blog," any writer that is able to create and maintain a successful blog, receive regular responses, and thus build a well-known web presence is not only going to get regular practice writing, but also demonstrate his/her creative skills.

But don't just take her word for it, come to "Blogging and the Writer's Portfolio" at the Portfolio Center on March 29th at 11 a.m. and and listen to what other writing professionals have to say about it! We'll have folks from a variety of writing professions -- so all students are encouraged to come!

Posted by kscott at 8:43 AM

March 1, 2007

Funding opportunity for spec TV commercial | Deadline is March 30th

Get Your Spot Shot

For junior and senior Advertising Artists and Copywriters

Have an idea for the next great commercial but can't get it made? The Portfolio Center, Art & Design and Marketing Communications Departments are looking to turn great concepts into fully produced 30-second spots. And we'll foot the bill for production costs.

The Process:

Step 1: Submit application materials to:

Portfolio Center
Attn: Adam Berry Re: Get Your Spot Shot
623 S. Wabash, Ste. 307
Deadline: 5PM, March 30th 2007

Step 2: 6 semifinalists will be selected in April.

Step 3: Semifinalists will "pitch" their idea to the panel of judges. Up to 3 finalists will be selected based on originality, clarity of idea, and (production) practicality.

Step 4: Production teams will be hired to shoot the winning ads. Then we get started -- Production will begin in June!

Questions? Contact Adam Berry at adberry@colum.edu

Get Your Spot Shot is a collaboration between the Portfolio Center, the Art & Design Department and the Marketing/Communications Department.

Posted by mgreen at 3:57 PM

February 22, 2007

Show Off to the Marketing Store | March 1st @ 2pm

The Marketing Store does it all. Like other integrated marketing agencies they create communications that span advertising, direct mail, in-store promotions, event promotions and interactive websites. Unlike other agencies, their clients are global consumer giants like McDonald's, Dasani, Snapple, Dove..and the list reads on and on. Each spring The Marketing Store visits the Portfolio Center to scout talent for internships and possibly freelance work. Students pursuing work as a copywriter, graphic designer, ad artist or flash designer will get portfolio advice from a global agency creative who can speak to your strengths and weaknesses in the eyes of the big agency employers.

If you haven't already, register with the Portfolio Center and make sure you select the 'Show Off' option. Then, call 312.344.7280 to sign up to show off your work.

If you're reading this after this review came and went, check the Show Off page for a current schedule of guests.

Posted by mgreen at 4:31 PM

February 11, 2007

Ad creatives and designers need portfolios. Plural.

For the generation(s) of creatives that came before, a portfolio was a leather book that was typically the size of a kitchen table (a slight amount of hyperbole is being employed here). It contained, at best, printed examples and more commonly, hand-drawn layouts. Most of these pieces were original, so for their own protection, they were placed behind laminate pages that held them still and protected them from smudges.....But that was then.

Like all species faced with a changing environment, the portfolio was forced to either adapt, or fall by the wayside. Luckily for us, it adapted.

As more and more creatives found themselves competing for jobs, they found themselves being asked to drop their books off. Lugging a kitchen table around on the El isn't convenient, so big black leather books began to give way to smaller books and boxes.

Sometimes the portfolio would come back damaged, or not at all. So original pieces gave way to digital copies. (Thanks of course to the advent of digital technology.)

In the past few years there has been an exponential diversification of portfolio types. Mini-books became standard practice and creatives on the look would produce tens if not hundreds of them. Websites like coroflot and portfolios.com made online galleries an alternative to the never popular option of attaching several images to an email. Eventually, PDF portfolios emerged as the standard way to send portfolio samples via email.

Most recently, there is a growing expectation that creatives of any type will have a their own web-based portfolio. A custom site showing off their work, and their work alone.

Complicating things is that with all these options (and we didn't even touch on the issue of leave-behinds), the talent recruiters and hiring managers got greedy. Ask ten hiring managers how they want a portfolio sent to them and you'll get at least seven different answers. (Your results may vary.)

In such an environment the creative is left with no alternative but to create portfolios. Armed with a book or box, a mini-portfolio, PDF portfolio and web-portfolio, the modern creative is positioned for success in any number of hiring environments. Assuming of course that the work is good....and it all starts with the work.

If you feel intimidated by all this, don't. Here's your action plan. Get your book (or box) in order first. Get feedback on your samples, and not from your friends or faculty. Get feedback from people in your field. People who (probably) don't know you.

Once you're feeling good abut your samples and have your book / box looking sharp, now it's time to diversity. Make a pdf portfolio. Get busy making a website, or finding someone who will help you make it. Miniaturize your portfolio and build several mini-books. This order may vary based on what you can do, and what people are asking you for. Eventually though, you're going to want them all.

Let us know if we can help. We'd love to.

Posted by mgreen at 2:29 PM

February 7, 2007

Leo Burnett's Kara Taylor talks up Ad portfolios at their best | Feb 12 @ 3:30

Kara Taylor is:

a.) a VP at Leo Burnett Chicago

b.) a former Director of the Miami Ad School in Minneapolis

c.) a frequent guest of the Portfolio Center

d.) an uber-Ad-portfolio expert and a nice person

e.) all of the above

Answer: E

Kara will visit the Center on Monday, February 12th at 3:30 to deliver a presentation on ad portfolios that covers the basic do's and dont's, but also some of the really unique and interesting techniques employed by emerging ad creatives looking to break through the deluge of portfolios swirling around the offices of your typical talent recruiter.

The presentation will last about an hour and Kara will stick around to answer questions, following.

This event is open to all students and alumni of Columbia College.

Posted by mgreen at 9:19 AM

January 29, 2007

K.I.S.S.: Contact Information

No, we do not have the direct line for the Knights in Satan's Service. But we do have some practical advice on creating a usable, professional email. In a nutshell? Keep it simple, stupid.

Avoid numbers. If possible, try and avoid something with a number at the end. Did someone take the email you wanted? Tough. You might easily remember the year you were born, but an employer won't.

Do not divulge your less than wholesome hobbies. While it's best to avoid nicknames all together, email addresses with the words "stoner," "420," "hottie," "sexy," "lush," or any other word referencing sex, drugs or booze is a quick way to make sure no one writes you back. You're not being slyly clever; everyone knows what all these words mean and no one usually wants these characteristics in a employee.

Be yourself. Your best choice of an email? first name.last name@whatever.com Or, if that's been taken, consider first initial and last name. Or, try your putting in your middle initial. However, using your name means you're easy to remember- and get a hold of if something comes up.

Armed with a simple, professional email, look into printing up some business cards. That way, whenever you meet someone, you can make sure they can reach you at a moment's notice, without being afraid to hire someone calling themselves "midnightlover2003."

Posted by eeaston at 4:54 PM

January 26, 2007

Design Portfolio Q&A | February 8th

So many designers, so many portfolio needs, wants, requirements. What can we learn from those who came before us? We'll talk about some of the basic do's and dont's with Wunderman Art Director (and alum) Kristine Arth and Liska + Associates Designer (and alum) Laura Kesselring.

Kristine and Laura will visit the Portfolio Center on February 8th (Thu) evening at 6pm.

This event is open to all current students.

Posted by mgreen at 4:11 PM

January 22, 2007

Online Galleries: A Portfolio Cocktail Party

Online portfolio galleries have become the places to see and be seen. There's dozens of sites that offer to help you create an online portfolio and make it available to anyone looking for you "creative types." Suddenly, getting your work out there isn't the problem- it's deciding where to show it. Alas, what is a cyber-socialite artist to do?

As a Columbia student, or alum, you're eligible to put your work in the Portfolio Center Archive. When professional artists and employers are looking for creative talent in Chicago, they look for Columbia College students - and this is where they look. Register and send us your completed web portfolio and we'll make you instantly viewable to anyone who's interested.

Beyond our web walls, there's a few other types of sites you might consider:

5oup is a UK based free portfolio site for students, run by students that allows you to display your work, as well as connect with artists worldwide.

Artistsportfolio and Absolutearts include work from students, professionals and amateurs with a free portfolio and a "portfolio pro" (read: costs money) option.

Creative Hot List allows employers to search by a variety of skills, making this site a good resource for job seekers. It's going to cost you though- 35$ for 6 months.

Illoz and Artrom are "invitation only" galleries, meaning the work must be reviewed and approved before they will allow you to post there.

All of these websites offer you their version of Portfolio Production, meaning you can upload X number of images, to be displayed in a pre-made format. So, if they're willing to do the design work for you, should these online gallery portfolios take the place of your own portfolio? Absolutely not. "When I get resumes from people, I kinda don't like to be bounced back to a site like creative hotlist," says talent recruiter Sharon Potsch, "I much prefer PDFs of samples or a link to a website of their own." Anyone considering anything creative should take the time to create something outside of a gallery website; if a designer can't be bothered to design their own website, why would you hire them to design something for someone else?

When you're deciding where to post your work, be sure to check the gallery to make sure you've found a good fit. Who's the site aiming to appeal to? Is the primary goal networking or employment- and what are you looking for? Just like a slumber party won't do if you're in the mood for a soiree, choosing your gallery makes all the difference in how your work will be received.

Posted by eeaston at 8:38 AM

January 18, 2007

Design Portfolio Q&A | January 26th

It's week one, so let's start off with some basics. You're a designer and/or art director in the making. You need a portfolio. Sharon Potsch sees hundreds, nay thousands, of them. The good, the bad, the ugly. Dave Weik has a great one. Come visit with Sharon and Dave, ask questions, see examples and get some perspective on what separates the good from the bad (and the ugly). This event is open to all current students.

Posted by mgreen at 10:53 AM

January 12, 2007

There's one for you, nineteen for me

A common mistake most young artists and freelancers make is to forget about the Taxman. Failure to plan accordingly can doom a self-employed individual's livelihood. The good news is, there's help. The Chicago Artist's Coalition is hosting their annual Tax and Record Keeping Workshop 1:00 on Saturday, 20 January at the School of the Art Institute, 280 S. Columbus Drive.

Led by Mary Fahey, C.P.A., this workshop is for all self-employed individual including artists, filmmakers, photographers, dancers, etc. There's a nominal fee for the workshop, and more information is available online.

Posted by dmatthews at 9:43 AM

January 11, 2007

Professional Guidelines for Freelance Writers

If you can write with proficiency and creativity you may want to seek out freelance writing jobs. The truth is, you may not obtain a full time job immediately after you graduate. And in many fields, such as advertising, marketing, public relations and journalism, freelancing is fairly common. And yes filmmakers, you too may want to consider corporate scriptwriting to pay a bill or two. I know; the truth hurts. No need to feel ashamed. However, you should be prepared and know the rules of the game.

Independent Writers of Chicago has published a set of professional standards to guide you through the process. Issues such as written agreements, expenses, spec work and terms of payment are included in a concise and informative document published on IWOC's website at www.iwoc.org.

Posted by mcooper at 7:15 AM

January 10, 2007

Video Resumes -- Benefit or Drawback?

This past Sunday (January 7th), an article appeared in the Chicago Tribune, entitled "Candidates make videos part of resumes," that discussed a new trend in "video resumes." According to the article, these video resumes feature prospective employees highlighting their experience and discussing why they want a career in their particular field. The candidates then either send their clips to prospective employers or send their clips via a link through e-mail. Sounds like some sort of strange version of a video dating service to me, but then again, how many of us spend more time with our employers than at home with our significant others?

Apparently, there has been some success with this method, as the Chicago Tribune illustrates with a few examples (pdf). But others are skeptical and voice concerns about sending video clips to prospective employers, suggesting that some candidates could be turned down "for interviews after seeing what they look and sound like on video," which could also leave some employers "open to discrimination lawsuits."

Another article by NPR points out, in "Job Hunters Seek Winning Edge in Video Resumes," that while these types of resumes have been around for years, the "growth of broadband connections and the proliferation of easy-to-use video-making applications" have created a large increase in the number of people who post or send video resumes to employers. NPR similarly highlights a number of success stories with people that have utilized video resumes and received numerous interviews and job offers. But again, there's a cautionary warning: "pitching yourself on video can backfire." Not only might you turn off a potential employer with your video, but according to Peggy Mastroianni, "as associate legal counsel at the Equal Opportunity Employment Commission," videos can be problematic because they can also "reveal information -- race, religion, disabilities -- that shouldn't figure into who gets an interview and who doesn't."

So our advice? Tread with caution. If you do decide to pursue this route, you might want to get feedback from professionals in your industry before turning the camera on yourself. And then weigh the positive possibilities against the negative. You might hit gold, but then again, your video might become the thing that people send around the office for a good laugh.

What we do encourage is the utilization of technology (audio, visual) and the internet to showcase your talents . . . your actual work. Creating video or audio clips of examples of your work that are easily made available by the click of a mouse has also proven to be quite beneficial, but without many of the accompanying concerns over potential discrimination.

Posted by kscott at 9:17 AM

January 9, 2007

Photo Doc Day

On Friday, January 26th, Columbia students and recent graduates will have an opportunity to get their portfolio samples documented by advanced/expert photography students, for free. Fashion design, product design, flatwork and paintings, headshots, portraits, sculpture, packaging...if it fits in the door, we'll get it shot for you.

The Photo Studio is at 72 East 11th Street on the 6th Floor. You may sign up to work with a photographer at either 10AM, 1PM, or 3PM. Lights go of at 5PM. Call 312.344.8660 to sign up. Your work must be organized and absolutely ready to go.

The maximum number of items you may bring is 10. If you need props or special materials, you must bring them. We'll provide you with a CD of your images.

You must sign up in order to attend.

Posted by adberry at 12:26 PM

January 8, 2007

Breaking down the cost of building a portfolio

How much does a portfolio cost to assemble? Well, everything at the Portfolio Center is free, including Portfolio Production. However, if you need to take care of it yourself, here's a rough idea on what you should plan to spend:

Business Card Design: 60$-150$ per side

Headshots: 100$-300$ for a one location, one setting shot

Assembling a Reel: 250$ (not including cover design, which costs an additional 135$)

Website Design for a 5 page, HTML site: 350$-750$

Website Design for a 5-page, Flash website: 500$-1400$

Web Templates: 75$-240$

And, the more skill and experience you require, the more you can expect to pay. You may be able to find a diamond in the rough (similar to yourself) who just needs to get their work out there and is willing to work cheaply, but, be prepared to be flexible about what you can demand.

As always, it's your choice. If you're comfortable spending between 250$-1700$ to get your first job, don't let us stop you. In fact, take us out to lunch at Custom House and tell us all about it. But, if you'd rather have someone else foot the bill, remember, we're here to help.

Posted by eeaston at 1:34 PM

We won the SILVER!!

We, at the Portfolio Center, were recently notified that we won the 2006 NASPA Excellence Silver Award for the "Careers, Academic Support, Service Learning and Community Service" category!

What's that mean? It means the Portfolio Center has been recognized as the second best in the nation of all those who submitted in this category.

So congratulations to us! And congratulations to you, too, because our center's success is a huge reflection of our students and all of our collaborators (faculty, staff, and industry professionals).

Posted by kscott at 8:33 AM

January 4, 2007

Why YOU should have a Business Card

Yeah YOU. All of you. I know, some of you feel weird carrying around a business card when you're "just" a student, but you wouldn't believe how helpful they can be in getting you that gig, interview, or freelance opportunity. Think about it. You're at some event (like Show Off), and a professional actually shows interest in you or your work. There's some mumbling about a possible job coming open soon. You want to give her your contact information, so you fumble around for that pen and scrap of paper, scribble it all down, and thrust it into her hand.

Now, be real. How likely do you think it is that she'll even remember where she stuffed that little wad of paper or who you are if she ever does find it? That piece of paper will most likely get dry-cleaned the following week. Or worse, yet, pitched in the nearest trash can.

A nicely designed business card, with your contact information and website (if you have one) is much more likely to get that second look; it's also easier to file for future reference, and it looks so much more professional! Even if you haven't done much of anything yet, it says, "I take myself seriously, and so should you."

Have confidence in yourself and think of business cards as a convenient and efficient way to network and share contact information.

Now, how to get them? We're holding a Business Card Day on January 25th. We'll have some of Columbia's finest designers custom create a business card for you (pdf) , according to your specifications. All you have to do is call us to set up an appointment (no, you can't just walk in). Call 312-344-8660 and reserve your spot!

Posted by kscott at 3:56 PM

Interview with Draft | FCB Creative Recruiter Cyndi McVicker

Cyndi's a frequent guest at the Portfolio Center and a frequent hire-er of Columbia creatives. She's also an unqualified expert on the do's and don't of putting together a creative advertising portfolios. (She sees something in the neighborhood of 200 portfolios every month.) We captured some of her sound advice (mp3| 7:10) during a visit to Columbia in the fall of '06; specifically on overview of the multiple portfolio formats every ad creative is expected to have, tips for presenting your work and thoughts on what brands and companies you should not develop spec campaigns for (and why).

Posted by mgreen at 9:06 AM

December 21, 2006

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Columbia College Chicago will be closed for the holidays between Friday, December 22nd and January 3rd, 2007. We, at the Portfolio Center, would like to wish everyone very happy holidays! Be sure to check back in January for upcoming spring semester events!

Posted by kscott at 9:06 AM

December 15, 2006

Protect your work: Copyrights 101

With everyone putting their portfolios online, lots of you are asking questions about how to protect your work from being used- or, rather, stolen. Do the benefits of the online portfolio outweigh the risk of having someone take your work?

The answer is: yes. An online portfolio is an invaluable tool- and keeping people’s grubby little mitts off your work is fairly easy, but, there are a few things you should know.

Any time a piece of original work is affixed to a medium (paper, clay, ink, document), it is immediately protected under copyright. Copyright is exactly what it sounds like: the right to copy work. As the creator, you are (most of the time) considered the owner of the copyright and allowed to dictate the terms of what and how your work maybe copied by others. You don’t even need to put in the “�” or “all rights reserved”; thanks to the Berne Convention, copyright is established the moment the original idea takes a physical form. It’s as simple as that.

The most common special cases for students involve intangible ideas and work you do for an employer. Ideas or concepts cannot be protected- which is one reason you should never include an undeveloped idea in your portfolio. Additionally, when you create work for an employer, the employer holds the copyright- meaning you cannot use it anywhere (including your portfolio) without his/her permission. While many employers allow students to use work from internships and projects, some do not; ask first. If you are allowed to use it, this is a case where the “�” must be used to show who owns the copyright (since everyone who sees it will assume it’s you.)

The complicated part of protecting your work comes AFTER someone has used it and, should you choose to press civil charges, you will be asked to prove that you created the piece first. There are three main ways to establish when you own the rights:

1. Any website/digital document will be assigned a time stamp that indicates when it was created. This is sufficient evidence for any piece of work as a “born on” date.

2. The “poor man’s copyright” is used by artists, writers, record label owners and pretty much everyone. Put your piece in an envelope, go to the post office and mail a copy to yourself using “registered mail.” Should the need ever arise, you can use this to threaten anyone who has taken your stuff- since you have proof you committed it to a medium by a certain date. However, the poor man’s copyright does not stand up as official evidence in court, should things escalate to that level.

3. If you’re really concerned about someone stealing your work, the most official way to protect it is to register each piece of work with the U.S. Copyright Office. For 45$ (per piece) you can be sure no one will touch your stuff without a smack from the swift sword of federal justice. It’s the priciest option, but, if you’re really concerned, can you put a price on piece of mind?

And, there may also be cases where sharing your work increases your visibility and acts as free publicity (or, maybe you just love to share.) In that case, you can dictate the terms of your “right to copy” by registered for a Creative Commons License. They’re free and, once displayed on your website/work, they let people know the terms of how they can use your work.

Posted by eeaston at 2:35 PM

December 14, 2006

Portfolio Basics from Carnegie-Mellon University's Career Center

Our friends at Carnegie-Mellon, a really well respected institution located in Pittsburgh put up a portfolio basics page on their career center site. (They were also a guest institution conducting grad school portfolio reviews at this fall's Go Go Graduate School event.) It's a good reference with tips for portfolio organization, web based portfolios and specific advice for architects, artists, designers, musicians, performers and writers.

We don't know if we would take 100% of their advice as gospel, but it never heards to read, consider and make informed decisions now does it. Thanks Carnegie...Mellon.

Posted by mgreen at 11:05 AM

December 12, 2006

Interview with Allison Sagehorn of Manuela Guidi LLC

One way to become familar with various ad agencies in the area is to temp or freelance. At least that's one positive way to look at not being hired full-time. And if you're considering freelancing you probably want to get to know such recruiting firms as Manuela Guidi LLC. One of the company's Creative Recruiters Allison Sagehorn spent an afternoon at the Portfolio Center reviewing student ad art books. Afterwards she gave us feedback about preferred portfolio formats and creating campaigns for a range of products. (mp3)

Posted by mcooper at 9:00 AM

December 8, 2006

Proofing. Another way to keep your materials out of someone else's trash can

Proofreading is essential if you want anyone to take you or your work seriously. You can spend hours of the material, work with a Portfolio Advisors, gets a professional web cite created, but, the butter the portfolio, the more glaring the typos.

You owe it too yourself to check each and every peace of copy - obviously including you’re resume- at least twice before you ad it to the finished portfolio. Reed it out loud word buy word. Get a friend too look it over. Alls it takes are one teeny tiny mistake and an employer stops reading an moves one.

Are we being too hard on you? No. Were not. That extra ten minutes of reading means a huge difference in how you present your self. Simple typos make and employer question you’re ability to pay attention to detail, submits quality work and the pride you take inn what you’ve done. No employer want to compromise on these issues- we don’t care what industry your in.

Microsoft Word made this process Evan easier a few years ago when they addled a super sophisticated grammar and spelling editor to their programs. Guess what? Its not perfect. It missed 30 errors in this entry alone.

Posted by eeaston at 9:26 AM

December 5, 2006

Spec Work: Friend or Foe?

Speculative work, or spec work, can bulk up your portfolio into a polished piece employers gush over or set you up for more a more difficult career down the line. The camp is divided. Who’s right? We’re not sure, but, we thought you should know all the facts.

What is spec work? Spec work is work you do without a client involved. You might be fleshing out that ad campaign you thought might be cool, redesigning a website you thought could improve or creating a brand and logo for an imaginary company. No one asked you to do this work, but you’re creating it anyway.

Pros of spec work:

1. Spec work is a great way to build up your portfolio with work you’ve done outside of class.

2. Most professionals won’t expect you’ve done much paid work right out of college (because you’re obviously looking for more.)

3. Spec work is a chance to show how creative and targeted you can be without a client dictating any specifications.

4. You can do spec work anytime, anyplace and at any point in your career.

Cons of spec work:

1. Spec work shows an employer that you will work for free- so why should they pay you?

2. Many professionals are vehemently against spec work, as they feel it devalues their work.

3. You don’t get the opportunity to work with a client, which is a key part of most design jobs.

4. Spec work can’t be protected, meaning anyone who sees your portfolio can use your work.

What is a recent grad to do? That’s your decision. If you ever need advice or a professional opinion, we’re happy to help, but, be sure to make the portfolio really does show your best work- no matter where it came from.

Posted by eeaston at 1:55 PM

Not-for-Profit Incorporation Workshop | December 7

This is not exactly portfolio related. And the Portfolio Center is not hosting the workshop. However, I thought it would be a good idea to post info about the seminar below since I know several students (from dance to film & video to AEMM majors) who have started or are interested in starting not-for-profit organizations. And of course we want to support you as you find independent ways to outlet your art & media.

The Lawyers for Creative Arts will again present its workshop on Not-for-Profit Incorporation and Tax Exemption on Thursday, December 7, 2006 from 5:30 p.m.- 8:45 p.m.

This workshop will discuss whether to start a NFP, how to establish a NFP, as well as certain recurring operating problems. Also covered, how to obtain a 501(c)(3) tax exemption and discuss several legal issues regarding maintaining tax exempt status. The cost is $75 for one person, and $100 for two people.

Please call LCA at 312-649-4111 to register. Visit www.law-arts.org for more information.

Posted by mcooper at 10:03 AM

November 6, 2006

Show Off to Allison Sagehorn from Manuela Guidi | Nov 8th

Copywriters and Art Directors alike can show their books to Allison Sagehorn, a recruiter with prominent Chicago sourcing (ie finding creative talent for the Midwest's bigger, better ad agencies) outfit Manuela Guidi. Allison recruits for many of Chicago's agencies and give you a good idea of not just "what works" but "what works where." She'll visit the Portfolio Center on Wednesday, November 10th at 1pm.

If you've yet to participate in Show Off, call 312.344.7280 to sign up - and - if you haven't already, register to receive updates whenever we book other people in your field.

Posted by mgreen at 9:02 AM

November 1, 2006

Show Off to Saatchi

Show Off rolls on with an "emergency" session this Friday, Nov. 3rd with Saatchi & Saatchi Creative Director Matt Kutton. So why the "emergency" label? 'Cause we got word on short notice that Saatchi may well be in need of some Jr Art talent and we want Columbia people to get first dibs.

Thus, if you have some Art Direction chops, as evidenced in your portfolio, bring it and yourself to the Portfolio Center on Friday to meet Matt - but - you must have an appointment and be an '06 grad or scheduled to graduate this December.

If you answered "yes" to the above call 312.344.7280 to sign up and register with our office if you haven't already.

Go get. The Portfolio Center

Posted by mgreen at 11:21 AM

October 27, 2006

Advertising and Interactive Arts and Game Design Industry Expert Tom Kim

A graduate of Northwestern and DigiPen IT, Tom Kim has worked in a few industries as the creative mastermind behind ad campaigns, video games and podcasts. He began working as an art director, as well as a new media director, with such clients as Crate & Barrel, Speigel, U.S. Cellular and Walgreen's. He moved on to design Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire Videogame for PC and Playstation. He returned to advertising as Creative Director for Euro RSCG. He currently works as an art director and interactive producer for Leo Burnett, where he has completed projects for PepsiCo, World Business Chicago and Northern Trust Bank. He is also Host and Executive Producer of the Gamasutra Podcast on GDC Radio for CMP Media LLC, after creating fatpixels radio podcast, an editorially driven show covering important issues facing the game development community and game culture.

Maybe you'd like to see Tom's Portfolio? Why not, he's going to look at yours.

*Availability: Weekdays 12:00PM-1:00PM.

All sessions are by appointment only. If you're interested to meet with an Industry Expert call 312.369.7280 for details.

---

Q: Whoa there. What are Industry Expert sessions again?

A: It's a service provided by the Portfolio Center that pairs students with working professionals in their field. An Industry Expert helps you understand what materials to put in a portfolio (and what to leave out), how to package and present your work, and how you'll know when it's ready for prime time.

Posted by mgreen at 2:23 PM

October 26, 2006

Singed, but not burnt to a crisp | Portfolio Center events proceed or will be rescheduled

Due to the fire and damage to the 630 S Wabash Bldg (aka the George Diamind Steakhouse) we unfortunately had to postpone (and hopeful can reschedule) Show Off visits from Wunderman and Pie Town TV. Go Go Graduate School (located in the 1104 S Wabash Bldg) however is still very much on for Friday, October 27th at 10am as is Monday's 7pm session for interactive designers, Too Flashy? Showcasing your interactive talent. (The 623 S Wabash Bldg is currently slated to re-open on Monday the 30th.)

Posted by mgreen at 8:44 AM

October 25, 2006

Apologies to Nissin Food Corporation | Considering Graduate School

It's a sad fact, however, the old cliche of the starving artist sometimes feels very real to people trying to make a living as filmmakers, photographers, performers, painters and other fabulous and creative professions. Some keep at it by surviving on ramen noodles. Some devote the 9-5 portion of their day to a desk job. And some go to graduate school.

But, how would more school help anything? You studied your craft for 4 years (sometimes more) so how would another two or three or even five years of learning get your closer to your goals? Well, graduate school and undergraduate school are two totally different experiences.

For starters, graduate study allows you to focus more specifically. While your undergraduate career has armed you with the basics, your graduate career will most likely offer a more unique and specialized course of study. The culmination of your graduate study will most likely allow you the opportunity to make that documentary, shoot that series or sharpen that specialized painting technique that started your interest in making art.

Additionally, graduate school offers you the chance to meet more artists and make more connections. With projects and grants for support, you will have more opportunities to get your name out there with the backing of a university. Those connections come in pretty handy later when you're out on your own.

Lastly, many programs will offer some level of funding, meaning you have a chance to work on your art without accruing too much debt (also meaning you may escape the ramen noodle diet after you earn your degree.)

However, to apply to graduate school, you need to prove to admissions committees that you are focused and committed to what you intend to study. Part of your application package will include a portfolio, and that's where Go-Go Graduate School leaps to the rescue.

On Friday, October 27th, the Portfolio Center and the Advising Center are bringing over 25 programs to campus to help you get the inside track on how to make the most of your application. We'll be offering panels on the visual arts, film & television, as well as a general "how-to" and information about the newly emerging "digtized portfolio." Not a listener? All of the schools will be there answering questions and reviewing work. It will be a great way to start learning about the process. You don't need to apply right away, but, the information will come in very handy should you ever find yourself trapped in a cubicle.

Posted by eeaston at 1:26 PM

October 18, 2006

Show Off to Wunderman. October 24th.

On October 24th @ 7pm, Wunderman Chicago is part of a global award-winning promotional agency whose clients include Microsoft (Xbox), Burger King, Vodafone and Coke. Art Director Kristine Rohl '03 will visit to review creative advertising portfolios.

Don't be shy, this is an opportunity to get your work in front of an Art Director who'll help you shape it, tweek it and improve it before graduation comes and you hit the pavement looking for work. If this is your first Show Off and you haven't already registered with us, go ahead and start there. Then call us at 312.344.7280 to sign up to meet Kristine. Hey, she's good people and was in your spot just a few years back. Getting good feedback won't ever be this easy again.

Open to Juniors, Seniors and Spring '06 graduates. Not yet a Junior? Try our portfolio advising service.

Posted by mgreen at 3:33 PM

Get Schooled

If you're reading this blog, then chances are you've stumbled across the basic concept of a portfolio 11 or 12 times already. However, while mostly we're concerned about getting you a job after graduation, sometimes a job isn't the answer. Sometimes more school is the answer. Well, we've got you covered there too.

A portfolio for a graduate school application is a whole different body of work. You need to be prepared to show what you can do and what you plan do all in a concise set of 8-15 images or a three-minute reel, along with an essay explaining your intentions during your future study.

How can we help? Well, we can't really. But, we did invite a whole mess of people who can. 22 schools from around the country are arriving on Friday, October 27th to give YOU the insider information on what makes a good application rise to the top of the pile. We'll be hosting panels on the Visual Arts application, the Film/TV Application, and digitizing your portfolio. Heads of Music and Theater departments will be there to explain how to nail your audition. Law school representatives will be there- and no, you're not a sell out if you're excited to talk to them. Interested in psychology? Five art therapy programs want to help you get started.

Come by. Bring your work to get some feedback. Grab a brochure. Go on to greatness. You can thank us later.

Posted by eeaston at 1:28 PM

October 16, 2006

Viva Volunteerism Service Expo

On November 8th from 11am-2pm, the SOC (Student Organization Council) is hosting Viva Volunteerism! Columbia College Service Expo in the Hokin Annex, 1st Floor, 623 S. Wabash.

The goal of the expo is to connect students to community partners and to develop partnerships between the two. Focusing on the 3 main components of working within the community; social, academic, and career development, the expo hopes to host between 15-20 community partners and 5-10 student organizations that actively participate in community life through service. Tables will be set up in the comfortable Hokin spaces of Columbia. Students, staff, and faculty will be able to view tables with information and speak to representatives. Refreshments will be served.

Visit www.colum.edu/leadership for more information.

Posted by mcooper at 9:10 AM

October 13, 2006

Network Your Art at Click's Midday Mixer

Mid-Day Mixer hosted by Click, Thursday, October 26, 12:00-2:00 PM, 623 Wabash, Hoken Annex

Click's Mid-Day Mixer is a social networking event offered to Columbia students and Chicago land artists. The purpose of this event is to create an interactive atmosphere that will encourage networking for artists.

The event will display artist work of all kind. Displays of paintings, photography, dance, music, graphic design, video, writings, and anything else you can think of will be included. Free nonalcoholic mixed drinks will be distributed to guests. There will also be interactive tables where guests can create artwork of their own!

For more information about the event and how you can display your work, visit columbiaclick.org.

Posted by mcooper at 9:42 AM

September 20, 2006

Show Off 5.0

Each year we, the Portfolio Center, face a battle that is at once new and familiar: getting you to show off. One of our cornerstone beliefs is that advanced students in the arts and media should spend a good deal of time showing work to professionals in their field and collecting feedback on how it can be improved. One program in particular, Show Off, is our go-to when it comes to getting senior, graduate and recent grads' work in front of experts in their field. Following is a brief explanation of what Show Off is, and how you can use it to your benefit.

First, Show Off is ongoing. It runs throughout the year, hitting a crescendo in the middle of the Spring semester. It could happen on a Monday afternoon as easily as a Thursday evening, October through May. We book visits based on the availability of our guests, many of whom travel to Chicago and take time out of otherwise hectic schedules to be here.

It is not a recruiting program, although a number of students find work, internships and exhibition opportunities through it every year. Most of the guests who come are indeed looking to scout talent, but at the same time, the focus of each advising session is on helping you understand how to move your portfolio presentation along to the next level. Some guests are tough, some supportive, but they're all coming to help.

So, how does it work? Simply. Once you register you'll get email updates whenever we book guests in your field. When we book someone you want to meet with, call us at 312.344.7280 and we'll get you scheduled for a specific time. Then its you, the guest and twenty minutes to show off what you can do. These are tightly scheduled meetings, so showing up late (or not showing up) is not cool.

We have about 120 Show Off sessions each year, but when you break it down, each area gets somewhere between 3-10 chances (we get more guests from specific fields like advertising, design and photography) to have their work reviewed. About 250 students participate and most take part in multiple reviews.

Don't wait until the late Spring to get started. It's not uncommon for Spring schedules to fill up quickly.

Your pal,
The Portfolio Center

Posted by mgreen at 3:08 PM

September 19, 2006

A BLOG ABOUT BLOGGING . . .

I'm the PC staff member that is probably newest to blogging. Call me slow to grab onto the technology. But I have to admit, this thing is really cool! Everytime we've got a new event, portfolio advisor, article, portfolio example, or even some new tidbit of information that we think is important for you to know about, someone here at the Portfolio Center blogs about it.

But the neatest part is that you don't have to keep coming back to the blog page to get the latest. Just subscribe to the blog! And I'm talking to all the faculty, too, not just the students!

On our main page, there's an RSS icon that you could just click on and then subscribe to ALL the blog feeds OR, if you just want to know what's relevant to you, click on the blog subscribe icon from your major/industry home page, then subscribe!

A "feeds" link will then show up on your browser's toolbar, and all you have to do is LOOK - all the new blogs will be there. Waiting. Patiently. Silently screaming . . . COME TO THE PORTFOLIO CENTER . . . we've got events for you! advisors, portfolios, ice cream . . .

No wait, that was across the hall, the Multicultural Affairs folks were the ones giving out the ice cream (well, you never know what student affairs has got going on around here, so it's a definite benefit).

Posted by kscott at 1:43 PM

September 18, 2006

Draft FCB's Cyndi McVicker at the Portfolio Center

Friend and vet'ran (contraction intended) creative recruiter for Draft FCB (Foote, Cone & Belding is merging with Draft in the near future) will visit the Portfolio Center Tuesday, September 26th for Where the Bar is, for a frank discussion about ad portfolios and why so few get past the recruiter's desk.

This event is relevant...dare we say necessary, for any student serious about the pursuit of creative ad work. Bring samples. You may not get to show them, but then again maybe you will.

If you're a current student at Columbia College Chicago, you're invited. If you're in Larry Minsky's Ad Portfolio class, we'll definitely see you there.

Posted by mgreen at 4:17 PM

If you show me your copy, I'll show you mine

It wasn't long ago alums Jaime Groth and Kevin Willard were in the Portfolio Center showing their work to everyone in a three-mile radius, looking for feedback, looking for some sign they had the make-up to make it in the ad game. They did.

If you're considering a career as a copywriter, stop by the Portfolio Center on Monday, Sept. 25th at 4pm for a Q&A with Kevin (a copywriter with Zipatoni) and Jaime, (a freelance writer most recently with Euro RSCG) and a show & tell session with the work they used to get work.

This program is presented by the Portfolio Center, in conjunction with Larry Minsky's Copy II class and is open to all current students of Columbia College Chicago

Posted by mgreen at 4:07 PM

Go-Go Graduate School

GO, GO to this event on Friday, October 27 from 10AM-3PM if you want to meet with representatives from several of the nation's leading arts & media graduate programs. Both the eager prospective applicant and the undecided knowledge seeker are sure to benefit from attending. You'll have the unique opportunity to meet admissions counselors, program coordinators and MFA directors and receive one-on-one feedback about packaging your application materials; including your portfolio or reel. You should attend. But please-- walk, don't run! We don't want you to hurt yourself before getting accepted.

Check out the Go-Go Graduate School page for details and a list of attending schools.

Posted by mcooper at 12:43 PM

September 13, 2006

Interview (mp3) with Creative Recruiter Sharon Potsch

When you're a creative recruiter at a place like Artisan you see not only hundreds of portfolios in a given year, you see the best and worst of what people are showing. Given her eyes have seen both extremes we asked portfolio advisor Sharon Potsch to share her advice for building a portfolio that will open doors (mp3), not fill trash cans.

Posted by mgreen at 3:17 PM

August 28, 2006

Last Call for Chicago Advertising Federation's Student Competition

If you're feeling a bit creative and able to channel that creativity in a quick time frame than you may want to try submitting to the Chicago Advertising Federation's Creative Club Competition. The initial deadline of Monday, August 28 has been extended to Friday, September 1 by 5PM due to low amount of student entries.

This year's assignment: Create a campaign that helps convince the International Olympic Committee that Chicago should be selected as the host for the 2016 Summer Olympics.

The prize: The winner of the 2006 Student Competition will receive three interviews at Chicago area agencies/design firms of his or her choice.

Find out complete details at www.chicagocreativeclub.com/students.

This is a challenging task I'm sure but remember even if you don't win; you can still use your campaign for your portfolio. And isn't that reward enough?

Posted by mcooper at 4:43 PM

August 2, 2006

We love us some web portfolios

Narciso Carlos has one of those "problems" where, prior to graduation, he was pulled into the ad/mktg/design business. Talent can be hard to contain. That said, talent must be "on display" to be noticed. If that sounds too obvious, it's mentioned here because too many talented students aren't outward enough with their work. Narciso is not one of them. A new design and integration of blogging tools into his portfolio site are worth the look to all who have or want an online portfolio. There's a wealth of links to other creatives and their portfolio sites as well.

This fall, the Portfolio Center will host a program, "blogging for portfolio." (Day and time TBD, so stay tuned.) Narciso, you're invited. We hope you can make and share your thoughts on the subject. Your site looks excellent (as does the work inside) and the blogging is right on. Tells who you are, what you do and highlightes your creative talent. Bravo.

All the best, Portfolio Center.

Posted by mgreen at 10:30 AM

July 31, 2006

Just a reminder: MySpace is not your portfolio

I'll admit it, I'm a 30 something with a MySpace account. I have fun with it, connect with a few friends and some of my favorite celebrities, (Ohhh...isn't it cool that I'm friends with Stewie Griffin!) but there's two things I don't do with my MySpace page. One, I don't put anything up I wouldn't want my boss (or Mom) to see. Two, I don't pretend it's an acceptable replacement for an online portfolio.

Yes, I too have heard all the stories about MySpace as a networking tool and how bands have made it big from their MySpace profile - etc. Connecting with people, however that happens, is (almost always) a good thing. Job hunting is different.

In the creative fields the employers read into the way you present yourself to them. Any business that hinges on selling creative ideas to clients or customers is largely about effective presentation (sure, creativity has something to do with it too...). The Portfolio Center emphasizes presentation in many of our programs for exactly this reason. When guests visit to look at student work, they often comment, "The work was good, but your students need to up their ability to present it."

So how does this relate to MySpace (or am I just ranting)? MySpace is the easy way out. Sending your MySpace page along is like writing a 10 page paper the night before, they're gonna be able to tell. There's no shortcut here. Online portfolios are the wave of the future and are already the norm in many fields. If you're not a proficient web designer already your options are to get crackin' learning Dreamweaver, to partner with a talented IAM student, or, if you're approaching your last semester at Columbia, ask us to produce a website you can be proud of. If it stops you from putting your work up on your MySpace page, you'll be doing yourself a favor

Posted by mgreen at 9:45 AM

July 27, 2006

Advertising and Design Industry Expert Sharon Potsch

Sharon is a talent representative with Artisan where she reviews portfolios and interviews graphic designers, copywriters, art directors, and creative directors to help make the match between their talents and available opportunities throughout Chicago and the suburbs. Sharon is a contributor to Graphic Design USA where she writes career advice articles to help creative artists put their best foot forward with advice on portfolio presentations, resume writing, and interviewing techniques. Prior to her current role, Sharon was a writer with Hewitt Associates where she wrote online website content for international clients. Her career began in telecommunications staffing where she fell in love with helping people find jobs. She majored in English at Illinois State University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English.

Sharon is available to speak with both graphic design and copywriting students about putting together portfolios that make strong impressions, writing resumes that work, and interviewing techniques. She specializes in helping creatives make strong presentations of their work and has written an article summarizing some of the basics.

Read Sharon's article Your Portfolio, A Complete Package (pdf)

*Availability: Wednesday and Friday at noon (off campus).

All sessions are by appointment only. If you're interested to meet with an Industry Expert call 312.369.7280 for details.

---

Q: Whoa there. What are Industry Expert sessions again?

A: It's a service provided by the Portfolio Center that pairs students with working professionals in their field. An Industry Expert helps you understand what materials to put in a portfolio (and what to leave out), how to package and present your work, and how you'll know when it's ready for prime time.

Posted by mgreen at 12:54 PM

July 25, 2006

In-Game Advertising Campaigns. How impressive would that be in your portfolio?

I came across this article recently and thought back to last fall when a prominent ad agency in town called and asked if we had any students who wanted to write ad copy that would work as part of a video game. I thought for sure we would find lots. I was wrong. We couldn't find one. And this was paid freelance work too with a blue chip client.

We did get the agency to visit and look at copywriting portfolios, and during their visit they told us the next big movement in ad/marketing creative would be the creation of game content that both worked as a game and as a marketing vehicle.

Looks like they were right. So here's our (the humble Portfolio Center staff) challenge to you. We're looking for good game design students and some good copywriting students...and, we're looking to pair those students together so they can help each other produce a next-generation piece of work that will make an impressive portfolio piece. Who knows, if we find the right people, the Portfolio Center may just get involved and contribute a little something to make this happen.

Interested parties can contact me at mgreen [at] colum [dot] edu. Start your engines.

Posted by mgreen at 4:20 PM

July 12, 2006

The "Weakest Link" principle

"The "Weakest Link" principle reigns supreme. Especially when looking at portfolios from young artists just out of school a couple of years. I need to know that you are in complete command of your craft. If you have seven paintings that you really like and three that you're not fond of, sit down and paint three more pictures. An AD will always fear that they could get you on a bad day. ADs don't want to take a chance on new talent, they want to feel comfortable and excited about working with new talent."

We pulled this from the blog of Irene Gallo, an Art Director for Tor/Forge and Starscape Books. This is just a tidbit, so read on for the rest or her sound advice for illustrators and traditional animators.

Posted by mgreen at 8:53 AM

June 15, 2006

Digital Portfolio Workshop

Chicago Artist Coalition is another organization that has, for lack of a better description, good stuff. Check them out! Here is one event that they may have trumped us on.

Entering the Digital World

June 29, 6:30-8:30pm

Led by Rachel Powers, Associate Professor of Digital Design at DePaul University

This workshop will walk participants through the ins and outs of digitizing their work in preparation for a web presence, as well as the creation of a digital portfolio. The workshop will cover best practices for taking digital pictures of one's work, saving these images and getting them ready for:

- a website (what software to use when editing digital images),

- a portfolio,

- a CD-Rom,

- and slides.

Additionally, this workshop will cover standards for uploading images to online portfolio websites, such as the CAC Online Gallery.

Visit www.caconline.org for details about costs and location.

Posted by mcooper at 10:14 AM

June 8, 2006

Business Card Day (Yes, we'll design a business card for you!)

It's not a portfolio in and of itself, but business cards are a good startm unless of course they're bad business cards. Whats makes a business card bad? We don't know, we only know from good business cards and if you come by on June 20th, we'll sit you down with a skilled designer who will design a business card with you. One you can be proud of. To sign up, call 312.344.8660.

Posted by mgreen at 8:58 AM

May 16, 2006

Photo Doc Day. Free photograpy for your portfolio needs

Photo Doc Day

On Wednesday, May 24th , Columbia students and recent graduates will have an opportunity to get their portfolio samples documented by advanced/expert photography students, for free. Fashion design, product design, flatwork and paintings, headshots, portraits, sculpture, packaging . . . if it fits in the door, we'll get it shot for you.

The Photo Studio is at 72 East 11 th Street on the 6 th Floor . You may sign up to work with a photographer at either 10AM , 1PM , or 3PM . Lights go off at 5PM. Call 312-344-8660 to sign up. Your work must be organized and absolutely ready to go.

The maximum number of items is you may bring is 10. If you need props or special materials, you must bring them. We'll provide you with a CD of your images.

You must sign up in order to attend.

*Brought to you by the Portfolio Center with the generous support of the Photography Department.

Posted by mgreen at 3:25 PM

May 11, 2006

Photo Doc Day

On Wednesday, May 24th, Columbia students and recent graduates will have an opportunity to get their portfolio samples documented by advanced/expert photography students, for free. Fashion design, product design, flatwork and paintings, headshots, portraits, sculpture, packaging . . . if it fits in the door, we'll get it shot for you.

The Photo Studio is at 72 East 11 th Street on the 6th Floor. You may sign up to work with a photographer at either 10AM, 1PM, or 3PM. Lights go off at 5PM. Call 312-344-8660 to sign up. Your work must be organized and absolutely ready to go.

The maximum number of items is you may bring is 10. If you need props or special materials, you must bring them. We'll provide you with a CD of your images.

You must sign up in order to attend.

*Brought to you by the Portfolio Center with the generous support of the Photography Department.

Posted by mgreen at 10:48 AM

May 9, 2006

Danielle Corches, webfolio

If you've been reading this blog, you know that one of our favorite things are beautiful, effective and stylish online portfolios...and I found another. Recent MFA graduate, and interactive media producer Danielle Corches, maintains a nice webfolio that details both her professional work and her life as a filmmaker. No small feat. Looks great Danielle! Congrats.

Posted by mgreen at 11:07 AM

April 26, 2006

AdStock, a must attend

The Marketing Communication department puts on an outstanding annual career fair, AdStock, each May, and truthfully if you're planning a career in advertising, marketing, publicity, events, promotions or public relations it is a must attend.

AdStock will bring almost one-hundred professionals to campus to meet students, review their resumes and portfolios, answer their questions and discuss potential internships and entry-level work. That's our part, we book the guests...and if you'll forgive our lack of modesty, we do a heckuva job. This year's guests include some of the biggest Chicago names in advertising, marketing, entertainment and PR.

The event is free and open to all students, regardless of major, and kicks off bright and early (9am) on May 4th. The early bird just might get the job.

Posted by mgreen at 4:36 PM

April 25, 2006

Artist Unite with Click Fusion

A lot of students often wander into the Portfolio Center (sometimes desperate) requesting our Portflio Production services. Portfolio Production meaning we hire a producer to work with you on presenting your body of work. If you aren't a senior or recent graduate you probably aren't eligible for this service. Or you may need help documenting, photographing, recording, or designing one specific project and our office isn't quite set-up for that either.

But have no fear, Columbia College's newest student organization Click is here. Click will act as an online networking group for Columbia College artists looking to collaborate with other students on a per project basis.

Thursday, April 27 from 5-9PM Click will host their first networking convention at 1104 S. Wabash in the first floor Conway Center. They'll have musical acts, raffle prizes and guest speakers. It will be a really hip opportunity to network with ALL types of artists!

Visit Click's website for more information. www.columbiaclick.org

Posted by mcooper at 4:37 PM

April 20, 2006

The best thirty-five dollars you might ever spend

You may (or may not) have went to the Ask Jancy event last fall which brought two top ad creatives, Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk to Columbia to speak about ad portfolios.

Regardless, ihaveanidea is coming back to town on May 4th and they've lined up an incredible list of ad creatives to review portfolios:

Joe Sciarrotta
Chief Creative Officer
Ogilvy & Mather

Michael Folinos
Chairman
DDB Needham

Jim Schmidt
Chief Creative Officer
DDB Downtown Partners
*A Columbia Alum.

Marshall Ross
Chief Creative Officer
Cramer-Krasselt

Mark Figliulo
Chief Creative Officer
Young & Rubicam

Kevin Lynch
Chief Creative Officer
Hadrian's Wall

Steffan Postaer
Chief Creative Officer
Euro RSCG Worldwide

Dennis Ryan
Chief Creative Officer
Element 79

Graham Woodall
Group Creative Director
JWT Chicago

Debbie Bougdanos
Director, Creative Operations
Leo Burnett

Iris Brenk
Creative Recruiter
Draft Chicago
*We should note that Iris will be here at Columbia for AdStock.

Deanne McLean
VP Director of Creative Recruitment
DDB

Bob Scarpelli
Worldwide Chairman & Chief Creative Officer
DDB

Don Pogany
VP Group Creative Director
DDB

Lynn Ostergaard
Senior Recruiter
Draft Chicago

Emily Wilson
Creative Recruiter
Element 79

Lisa Muzik
Director of Creative Administration
Element 79

Linda Waste
Creative Recruiter
Energy BBDO

Andrea Floren
Art Director
Hadrian's Wall

Adam Regan
Group Creative Director, Head of Art
JWT Chicago

Noel Haan
EVP, Creative Group Head
Leo Burnett

Andrew Meyer
EVP Creative Group Head
Leo Burnett

Josh Denberg
EVP Creative Group Head
Leo Burnett

Paul Hirsch
EVP Creative Group Head
Leo Burnett

Kara Taylor
Vice President Director of Recruiting
Leo Burnett

Peter Zapf
Principal Writer
Flow Creative

True, this will cost you $35, but in my humble opinion it's money well spent.

Go forth young creative and show thy work. Seating is limited.

Posted by mgreen at 4:25 PM

April 6, 2006

Putting together a portfolio for grad school applications

by Emily Easton

Applying to graduate school can be a daunting process. As opposed to most undergraduate applications, you need to show the graduate admissions committee a portfolio to demonstrate that your undergraduate career has sharpened the skills you plan to utilize for your next set of academic challenges. Selecting the right work for your portfolio and presenting it correctly will be a deciding factor in the success of your application.

The selection process begins with the work that you and your professors consider your very best work. From that collection of work samples and projects you should create a selection tailored to the specific program you hope to be accepted to. This may require some research on your part to know the academic and aesthetic agenda of the schools you plan to apply to. This may require leaving some good work out of your portfolio because it doesn't fit with the programs you're interested in. For example, if you are applying to a fine art photography program, don't include commercial photography samples unless you feel strongly that you can substantiate (in the application) your ability to move that work in a fine art direction.

If you are applying to a program that will be a continuation of your undergraduate studies, you should have plenty of material to work with. However, if you plan to study in a field that marks a departure from your previous studies, you should consider including any work that would be relevant. (Many schools are interested in having students trained in disciplines other than their own and will adjust their portfolio expectations accordingly.) For example, if you are applying to an architecture program, any drawing classes you've taken may have produced some useful samples. If you haven't done anything remotely related to what you plan to study, consider taking at least one class in your new area of interest.

Whether or not you are continuing your studies, or branching off in a new direction, you should also be sure your portfolio is tailored to each and every program you are applying to. This may mean you need several different portfolios. It's more work but an individualized portfolio shows that you have thoroughly researched the program and chosen it because you feel you can contribute something significant. One way to know the agenda of a specific school and department is to research the work of the faculty who teach in the program. If your work is in the same vein as theirs or you are inspired by their work, that program may be a good fit for you.

Once your work is together and you've chosen your best pieces, you will need to format your portfolio according to the program's guidelines. Follow directions to the letter; you should be creative with your artwork, not with your formatting. These instructions will vary by school or even program. If you don't give the school what they asked for, most schools will consider your application incomplete and throw it out before they even look at it. And don't give them more than they've asked for . Go over the instructions carefully and, if you have any questions, call the Admissions Office; they will be happy to answer any questions if it means they receive a correctly completed application.

Lastly, when you find yourself with a finished, formatted, ready-to-send portfolio, get a second opinion; another set of eyes will help you identify any areas you should strengthen. Your professors and academic advisor are a great place to start. Many schools also offer informal portfolio review sessions with their Admissions counselors and National Portfolio Days bring several schools together to review portfolios. Take advantage of these opportunities. A little advice from the other side of the admissions process can help your strengthen your application and your portfolio.

---

Emily Easton is a Coordinator in the Portfolio Center of Columbia College Chicago.

Posted by mgreen at 11:50 AM

March 7, 2006

Mini Books Should Make Big Impresssions

Leo Burnett's VP of Creative Recruitment, Kara Taylor visited the Portfolio Center to give a presentation (which was excellent) about what she looks for in ad portfolios. Working for one of the largest ad agencies in the country, Kara receives and reviews more books than she can count. But she never gets tired of seeing quality work.

Kara gave so much good advice. Here are just a few of the issues she covered:

-Many mini books: Mini books are smaller, disposable versions of your book. You should make a lot, send out a lot and update a lot. But don't make them so small that text and images aren't clear. And like your big book, include only your best work.

-Idea generator: The ability to execute any idea is okay, but having a strong concept is better. Potential employers want to know that if they hire you, you'll be able to crank out great idea after great idea and not be a one hit wonder.

-Compete with the big dogs: Condoms, Skittles, and lip gloss are already sexy and don't need you to help make them sexier. Try to raise the bar with the products you choose to create campaigns for. Sell an item that doesn't get much exposure or is more conservative. Take risks!

-Creative contact: When sending your mini book or after an interview it's a good idea to send a letter. A basic thank you is nice but may not be memorable. Put your personality (in good taste) into the letter and write something that makes you stand out.

-Be nice, be patient: After sending your mini book or interviewing you may not get hired. I'll repeat: be nice, be patient. Because there could be a variety of reasons for an ad agency not hiring you on the spot. But it doesn't mean they never will...unless you act like a jerk. Word travels fast in this industry.

Posted by mcooper at 5:30 PM

March 3, 2006

Opportunity to have an ad published in CMYK

CMYK is arguably the most widely read (or at least looked at) ad/design publication in the U.S.. Breda McCing of critiquemybook is a friend of Columbia, and the Portfolio Center specifically. How do these two facts relate?

Breda has a contest that any current student is eligible for. She wants an ad campaign that promotes critiquemybook.com to other emerging ad artists and copywriters. Often, I'm leary of "ad contests," but this one is very real and having a campaign published in CMYK is a big feather in any ad creatives' cap. Plus, Breda's business is to be connected to a number of big agencies in town. Knowing Breda is a lot like knowing a lot of Chicago's top ad creatives.

Full details can be found on her site.

Deadline has been extended to April 28

Posted by mgreen at 2:47 PM

March 2, 2006

Luerzers ARCHIVE

Luerzer's ARCHIVE is an ad magazine/webzine as well as a competition wherein student ad creatives can win money and possibly jobs with the top agencies. Look for the student competition section specifically. If you wish to upload a sample of your work, the Portfolio Center has created a Columbia College account, and will act as facilitator for eligible Columbia students. This is open to ad artists, illustrators, copywriters and photographers - but all work must be advertising oriented and include ad content in addition to imagery.

Participating students must adhere to the instructions below. Submissions that do not fit these guidelines will be deleted.

1. Send an email with one campaign (3 images tops) to me (Matthew Green / mgreen@colum.edu). I believe the system will allow three images per student, but it may only allow one. Designate which image is your best, otherwise I will choose.

2. Images *MUST* fit the following technical format:

* Image resolution: 72 dpi * Upload size limit for an image is 4096 kB * Image should be 600 pixels in height * Image should be in JPG - Format

3. Include your name, title (ad artist, copywriter, etc), contact info (phone, address), year in school and OASIS number. Unfortunately, this is only available to students currently enrolled in classes.

4. I will not reply to questions about the competition, visit the site for all the relevant information.

This is a great opportunity. As you will see, most of the world's ad schools are in this competition, so let's make our mark as well.

Best, Matthew

Posted by mgreen at 11:28 AM

February 24, 2006

Show Off with the Marketing Store

On Friday, Mar 10 @ 2pm, creatives from The Marketing Store will be here to review ad art, design and copywriting portfolios.

The Marketing Store is a creative marketing agency specializing in brand promotions, promotional marketing, experiential marketing for a number of top consumer brands including McDonald's, Pfizer, Sony and many others.

This session is open to juniors, seniors and recent grads and the Marketing Store is looking for potential intern candidates for the summer.

If you haven't already, visit the Show Off page and register to receive email updates whenever we confirm new guests in your field.

Posted by mgreen at 3:05 PM

Ad Portfolios with Kara Taylor

Join Leo Burnett's VP of Creative Recruitment, Kara Taylor, on March 6th @ 3:45pm for a presentation about ad portfolios (ad design, copywriting and guerilla marketing) from the perspective of what breaks-through. There will be an opportunity to ask Kara questions about finding work in advertising after the half-hour presentation.

Posted by mgreen at 2:45 PM

February 21, 2006

Your Portfolio: A Complete Package

by Sharon Potsch, Talent Rep with Artisan

Finishing your portfolio requires countless hours of choosing just the right way to present your selections. As a designer, you meticulously research and select the best case, the best spray glue, the best ringed binder. But how much time have you invested in practicing how you speak about your work during your portfolio reviews?

A strong portfolio presentation is a complete package of work samples, case, binder and verbal presentation. Reviewing your portfolio in a school setting is one thing. Reviewing your portfolio with a prospective employer is very different. Practicing what to say and how to say it is a sure-fire way to increase your job offers in the market.

Explain Each Piece

During a portfolio review, your job is to engage the reviewer by briefly, but clearly, explaining your strategies from color scheme to the significance of your sans-serif font choice. Clearly articulating the choices behind your work provides the reviewer with an understanding of your creative and communication abilities.

A good way to practice is to present your portfolio to a friend, teacher, or parent in a quiet room with absolutely no distractions. Experience your voice being the only noise in the room and the feeling of being the center of attention as you turn each page and speak about each piece. With each portfolio piece explain the following things:

What is idea behind each piece you wish to convey?

What were the constraints with each piece?

What tools did you use to create each piece?

What role did you play in each piece? Sometimes you might be part of a project team.

Explaining your involvement in a team will relay that you work well in both team and solo environments.

Get right to the point when speaking about your work. The industry professionals who look at your portfolio will glean much of what went into the work upon turning the page. Use this opportunity to make each project distinctive.

Take Your Best Shot

You only get one shot to promote yourself and that's during your portfolio review with your future boss. During that review, you have the absolute luxury of speaking to a captive audience. How you speak about your work is a direct reflection on your confidence in your skills and talents. Showing confidence and explaining your role with each piece in your portfolio will lend professionalism and polish to each portfolio review you're lucky enough to land. Displaying the right amount of confidence also separates you from your competition.

As the originator of your work, you will inevitably find mistakes no one else will notice. Remain focused on the positive during your portfolio presentation. Pointing out mistakes shifts attention to the negative and takes up precious time that you could better use to promote your work instead of bashing it!

A strong portfolio can be assembled digitally or by hand, but a winning portfolio is a complete package of well-conceived and rendered projects, combined with a confident, thoughtful presentation.

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Sharon Potsch is a Talent Rep with Artisan, one of the largest creative staffing agencies in the U.S.. She's also a portfolio advisor, available to meet advertising and design students by appointment.

Posted by mgreen at 11:27 AM

February 10, 2006

New Advertising Portfolio, Jesse Freese

Jesse is both ad artist and copywriter and has been getting complements on both from the professionals he has met on campus. Take a peek at three campaigns and a couple of one-shots that Jesse includes in his portfolio.

Posted by mgreen at 11:25 AM

February 2, 2006

Show Off: Burrell Communications

Visiting from Burrell is Managing Partner and Chief Creative Office Steve Conner and Mary Lynn O'Neil, Burrell's Creative Manager. They're coming to give feedback and helpful advice and are also actively looking for freelance talent in design, copywriting, interaction design, screenwriting and game design. They will be at the Portfolio Center on Wednesday, Feb 22 @ 2pm

Burrell is an international leader in advertising and creative marketing to youth and urban markets. Their client roster includes McDonald's, Toyota, Verizon, Bounty, Lexus, Crest and many others. Their work spans traditional advertising for broadcast and print to interactive, promotional and even game design and development.

If you haven't already, please visit the Show Off page for an updated schedule and to register to receive email updates about recently confirmed visitors.

Posted by mgreen at 12:11 PM

January 30, 2006

A is for ARCHIVE

FEBRUARY 13th @ 5:30 p.m. & 15th @ 12:30 p.m. Portfolio Center Lobby @ 623 S Wabash, Suite 307

No matter what you're year or major . . . this is for you!!

What is archiving? And why should you be concerned with archiving your work? The answer is simple: when you finally put together your body of work in a portfolio or reel, you want to be able to look over ALL of your work, not just your most recent or final projects. While early work is not always appropriate for a reel or portfolio, there may be a small gesture, a certain shot, a remarkable moment that could wow a potential employer or win you that grant.

The idea of archiving can bring to mind back rooms of libraries and museums filled with shelves of materials preserved for future generations. While the image and idea can be daunting, the process of saving your work can be simplified. Archiving your work involves two main components: saving the highest quality possible and keeping a copy in a separate location. Come find out the most effective and efficient way to do both!

This sessions event will be led by Dirk Matthews, Assistant Director/Archivist of the Portfolio Center.

Interested in seeing great examples of archived work? Check out our archives!

Posted by kscott at 2:02 PM

January 26, 2006

Spotlight on Web Portfolios

For the past few months the Portfolio Center, and by the Portfolio Center I mean our Portfolio Production manager Adam Berry, has been busy hooking students up with other talented students to help produce polished, professional portfolios.

Much focus of late has been placed on web portfolios. The web after-all is a medium that can accomodate all formats of portfolio work - photography, poetry, fine art, public relations, film, etc.. You name it, a website can be conceived to promote it.

Interested in a portfolio site of your own? Would you like the Portfolio Center to help? If you are a senior or grad student in your final semester, you may be eligible. Visit the Portfolio Production section of our website for more details.

Posted by mgreen at 11:22 AM

Show Off: Draft Worldwide

Draft is one of the largest creative marketing agencies in the world. Their clients include CVS/pharmacies, Procter and Gamble, Hewlett-Packard, Verizon, Bank of America, Jose Cuervo, Nokia and Coca-Cola. The creative work they do encompasses advertising, graphic design, branding, environmental and interactive design.

Alum Lia Koo (03), an Art Director from Draft, will be here to look at student work developed for the advertising, marketing or graphic design industries. Prior to joining Draft, Lia was Creative Director for Ten by Ten Magazine and a designer at several prominent local agencies.

When? Thursday, Feb 9th

Where? The Portfolio Center, 623 S. Wabash. Room 307.

If you have already signed up for Show Off, and are a senior or recent graduate, please call 312.344.7280 and ask to be added to the Draft schdule. If you have not yet registered, please visit the Show Off page and look in the student section for the registration form.

Posted by mgreen at 10:39 AM

November 22, 2005

PORTFOLIO ADVISORS

Everyone can use a Portfolio Advisor . . .

Are you in the beginning stages of portfolio production and wondering what work to save for your future portfolio? Or do you have an upcoming internship interview and not sure what work to show and how to prepare? Maybe you're a music composition student, and you're interested in finding out how to break into the film industry -- how would you present your composition portfolio to someone in film and to whom, exactly? Or perhaps you're a senior or graduate student about to graduate and you just got a call from a potential employer about a job, and you're not sure whether you should include the work you did for your most recent class project in your portfolio. Or are you that film directing student, who has also done a lot of work in animation -- should you have one portfolio or two? And then there's that photography buddy of yours who has already created an impressive portfolio, has received good feedback on her work through Show Off portfolio review sessions, and is interested to learn how to get an agent to promote her work, but she has no clue where to go.

These are all questions that you and your friends could ask our portfolio advisors, working professionals in a variety of industries who are available by appointment to address these questions and more.

You can also show our portfolio advisors your work-in-progress and get feedback. And while you've got their full attention, ask these important questions, learn more about your media/major, and NETWORK!! You just never know what doors you might open when you walk through ours.

The Portfolio Center
623 S Wabash, Suite 307
312-344-7280

* Don't see someone in your field? Email mgreen@colum.edu and tell us what kind of industry professional you would like to have available.

Posted by kscott at 1:30 PM

November 4, 2005

Portfolio Center Faculty Board Member gets One Show Exhibit to Chicago

Larry Minsky, a full-time faculty member in the Marketing/Communications Department and veteran Creative Director/ Copywriter worked tirelessly to get the prestigious One Show Traveling Exhibit to Chicago. Co-sponsored by Post Effects and Columbia College, the One Show is a showcase for the ad industries best of work as voted on by an international consortium of ad creatives. Outside of New York, Chicago is the only city slated to host the show. The staff of the Portfolio Center would like to say thanks and congrats to Larry Minsky, one of our faculty advisors (our first in fact), and someone who has supported our efforts since our opening.

For students who see themselves becoming ad-creatives in the future, the One Show Exhibit will remain open through November 11th. You should consider it a must see. The exhibit is free and open to all, 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. at Post Effects which is located at 400 W. Erie.

Posted by mgreen at 11:22 AM

October 20, 2005

You asked, Jancy answered. A follow-up on the Pick Me presentation.

About fifty Columbia students joined Ogilvy & Mather Creative Directors Janet Kestin and Nancy Vonk for a discussion about their book Pick Me and the things emerging advertising hopefuls should know about breaking in. Here are three flash details we pulled from the presentation: 1. Creative directors assume that your day-to-day work will be at the level of your weakest portfolio piece...thus be absolutely sure your portfolio projects are consistently your very best work. 2. Advertising tools - image, copy, typography - remain the same, but the thinking is changing and pushing the business into new areas. The future of advertising will deal more with performance and less with print. Creatives need to be prepared to show they can think off the page as well as on. 3. Don't get hung-up on making a ton of money right out of school. In advertising you're underpaid the first half of your career and overpaid the second. It's hard enough to break in at all, so don't turn down a great opportunity over a couple thousand dollars.

Posted by mgreen at 9:00 AM

October 14, 2005

Portfolios from a Recruiters Perspective: Nov 3rd

Two of Chicago's most respected and succesful creative recruiters will share their insights on how design, ad art, interactive media, and copywriting portfolios are judged. Between them, Kelly Klawon, VP at Buzz Company, and Phil Siegert, Owner of Twiss Creative, have seen well over 2,500 books, most of them mediocre, some good, and a few great. Get the skinny on how yours can be great!

Location: The Portfolio Center, 623 S. Wabash, Room 307
Time: 4 p.m.

Posted by kscott at 9:09 AM

October 13, 2005

New Article: The Designer Book

Kelly Klawonn, VP at the Buzz Company was good enough to write an article for our design, ad art and copywriting students. It's a great outline for each piece of the portfolio puzzle, content to casing.

Give it a read

Posted by mgreen at 5:03 PM

October 10, 2005

Bios and Artist's Statements for Web Portfolios

by Tim Long

A portfolio presentation in any format is a demonstration of your skills and talents and a suggestion of your style or artistic vision. Crafting a carefully written statement to put on your portfolio website can enhance the impression your work makes and clarify your goals.

Understand a bio not as a chance to tell your history as a creative person ("I was five years old when I started drawing pictures of my cat...") but instead a chance to say who you are right now ("My illustration work is about capturing motion; in animals, athletes, cars, windblown trees, waves, whatever."). A bio is also an opportunity to say what your take is on how to be successful or do good work in the profession or medium that you are entering. If you've got attitude, commitment, a great work ethic; make sure it comes across.

State your immediate goals in your bio, not your long-term goals. "I wish to direct major motion pictures that will bring about world peace," might be off-putting to someone looking to hire a PA or even an Assistant Director. "I want to work on every feature that I possibly can, to learn as much as possible," is more effective.

Be sincere and to the point. Funny is good, if in fact, you are funny. Most importantly, be yourself. Don't try to sound like an art historian, Snoop Dogg, or Don Pardo. Use your own words. Write in the first person or risk sounding like a punch-drunk boxer. (Everyone reading it will know your bio was written by you not by a professional writer, right?) Write it like you'd say it aloud, only cleaned up in terms of grammar and punctuation. And lastly, be brief. You should be able to get all of the above done in a paragraph.

If this writing task seems impossible, get help from a teacher, advisor, or someone in the Writing Center. In all cases, have someone proof your work for correct grammar and punctuation before you put it on your website.

An Artist's Statement is integral to the presentation of a body of fine art online or elsewhere. It can position your work among other genres and media, provide a historical context, and better enable the viewer to appreciate your project. Ideally you will have completed this important written piece as part of the process of completing the body of work it accompanies. Right? Right.

A strategy to consider in a web presentation is to put an excerpt of your artist?s statement on the homepage with the full statement linked to another page or pdf. A carefully selected excerpt will give the viewer the essence of your project and might further encourage them to read the full text but won't sidetrack them from viewing the work itself.

As above, if you need help, get it.

If neither a bio nor an artist statement seems to fit your particular web portfolio, consider finding a quote that gets to the heart of your work without leading the readers attention astray. Or simply write a line or two that introduces the work. Or if you think your work really and truly speaks for itself and won?t suffer from the lack of grounding that a written piece can provide go without.

---

Tim Long is an accomplished photographer and the Director of the Portfolio Center.

Posted by mgreen at 10:58 AM

October 7, 2005

PICK ME! Oct 18th

October 18th @ 6:00 -- 10 p.m.

University Center Chicago / Loop River Room

Free and Open to the Public

Nancy Vonk and Janet Kestin, Co-Chief Creative Officers at Ogilvy & Mather, Toronto, will be visiting Columbia College Chicago to talk about their recent book, Pick Me: Breaking Into Advertising and Staying There. Vonk and Kestin, who have won many industry awards, including Cannes Lions, One Show Pencils, and Clios, will share their experience and inside scoop on how those who are new to advertising can build a killer portfolio, acquire an interview with top agencies and elusive creative directors, and answer questions about internships and more. To learn more about this no-nonsense, outspoken, but passionate pair of ad-mavens, check them out on their web Q & A archive: http://www.ihaveanidea.org/askjancy/.

Posted by kscott at 11:21 AM

October 6, 2005

The Designer Book

by Kelly Klawonn

Your first portfolio is in a lot of ways your best opportunity to present yourself and your work. As creatives move through their career, their portfolio will continually evolve. The work will be less about their own creative process and subsequent outcomes and more about the work they have done for clients. As you progress in your career, people will want to see if you can sell your ideas, not just create. So use this moment in your career to really show off.

The contents of the portfolio should be varied in scope and style and presented in a clear and cohesive way. In a lot of ways your presentation can be the biggest portfolio piece of all. Stay away from the over-sized black leather portfolio with plastic pages, brushed metal case, etc. Think about your work as it relates to you and then develop your own system of packaging that says something about your potential as a designer.

The specifics that need to be addressed are the same as any project. Develop a cohesive, tight, representative plan to execute. Approach the development of your portfolio as you would any project. Determine your audience, plan your strategy, and then spend the necessary time with the details. This means focus on the big picture and how to carry out the look and feel throughout the process.

Develop a typographic solution that can be utilized throughout your entire body of work. Make your resume, portfolio, and all other aspects of the presentation seem like a complete unit. It?s not enough to think your work will sell itself. More than likely that will never be the case. In the end you will always need to sell your work.

In addition to the portfolio, which will contain your samples, think about creating companion pieces that can be left behind or delivered in advance. This can be something printed and packaged to be sent, it can be in PDF format, or it can be a website with your work. Whatever the format, the look should be consistent. You are a designer; design.

By no means am I endorsing the concept of anything goes. On the contrary, just as you must be able to explain exactly why you made certain design decisions as it relates to your work, you must also have solid reasoning behind the packaging of your work. What does it say to prospective employers or clients about you as a designer? Does it communicate what potential clients and employers can expect to see in your work? If the answer is no, then keep working.

Think of your first portfolio as your most important project yet. Do not relinquish it to an afterthought, just something to house your projects. Just as future portfolios will reflect the changes in your career, be sure your first portfolio fully reflects your creativity and strategic thinking, right now.

---

Kelly Klawonn is the Vice President at Buzz Company, a Chicago-based creative recruitment firm specializing in advertising, design and motion graphics, and a frequent professional guest of the Portfolio Center.

Posted by mgreen at 11:33 AM

September 21, 2005

COPYWEEK: SEPT 26-28th

Are you a copywriter looking to network with some of the hottest ad creatives in the industry? Or perhaps you're a fiction writer interested in finding out if advertising might be right for you. Some people get paid for their ideas. Will you?

If you've got a flair with a pen and want to learn more about the world of advertising, come check out Copyweek:

Copyweek Schedule:

*All sessions will be held at the Portfolio Center at 623 S Wabash, Suite 307

MONDAY 9/26:

Time: 10:15 a.m.
Guest: Breda McCing / Owner of critiquemybook.com and a Former Creative Recruiter with the Sandy Wade Group.

Time: 3:00 p.m.
Guest: Helayne Spivak / Executive Creative Director at BBDO

*Spivak, one of the most accomplished leaders in the ad business has run some of the world's top creative departments: She was the previous founder, president, and creative director of HRS Consulting in New York City; at Young & Rubicam, she was chief creative officer; and at J. Walter Thompson, she was worldwide creative director. She has won nearly every major honor that the industry offers, including numerous Clio Awards and the Gold Award at the Cannes Advertising Festival.

TUESDAY 9/27:

Time: 12:00 p.m.
Guest: Wendi Lalli / Consultant, Former Creative Director and Creative Recruiter.

Time: 3:00 p.m.
Guest: Kara Taylor / Creative Recruiter at Leo Burnett (recently of the Miami Ad School).

Time: 6 p.m.
Guests: Jaime Groth, Alumni '04 / Copywriter at Euro RSCG
and Danielle Barbetta, Alumni '02 / Copywriter at Brigandi & Associates

WEDNESDAY 9/28:

Time: 3:30 p.m.
Guest: Carrie Duick / Copywriter at Zipatoni
*Carrie will be reviewing copy portfolios just prior to her presentation as part of Show Off.

Posted by kscott at 4:14 PM

September 9, 2005

Industry Experts

Industry Experts are working artists and media professionals we've lined up to give you practical advice on building and showing a portfolio in your field. Whether you're putting together a final portfolio presentation or just trying to decide what you could possibly show, a session with an industry expert will prove helpful.

Questions for your industry expert:

• What does a portfolio in my field look like?
• What format(s) do I need to be able to show my work in? (web, pdf, print, reel, etc.)
• How long should my portfolio be? or how many pieces should be in it?
• Is what I have now good enough right now to find work?
• What parts of my portfolio need more work?
• How do I get my portfolio in front of people in my field?

Eligibility

Juniors, seniors, graduate students and alumni within six months of their date of graduation are eligible to meet with an industry expert. Students are limited to one appointment per semester and appointments are made on a case-by-case basis.

We find that most of the above questions can be answered by one of our staff members so start by visiting us during our walk-in hours. If we can't get you going then we'll pair you up with an industry professional who can.

Posted by mgreen at 9:16 AM

August 28, 2005

Portfolio Production

Portfolio Production refers to the process through which the Portfolio Center will help students build and present a professional caliber portfolio. Most often this translates into services like graphic design, photography, reel editing, DVD authoring, and portfolio web publishing. Most anything that will make your portfolio presentation visually stronger...we'll help.

These services would literally cost you hundreds or thousands of dollars to obtain on your own, but through the Portfolio Center, they're free. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth....We're the gift horse.

Eligibility

Portfolio Production is open to seniors and graduate students in their last semester as well as alumni who are within six months of the date of their graduation.

Get started

Production begins when you've prepared your final portfolio materials. Read over the portfolio production guidelines...seriously, read these first and then register with the Portfolio Center and select the Portfolio Production option. If you've already registered with us, call 312.344.7280 and let us know what type of services you want.

Posted by mgreen at 2:04 PM

August 18, 2005

Show Off

Show Off is the primary way the college brings creative arts & media professionals to Columbia to meet you, give you feedback on your work and, if you're lucky (and good), hire you, sign you for representation, buy your script or put you in their gallery. It happens all the time, but only to those who show up to show off.

Show Off works like this...you come with your portfolio-in-progress. You'll have twenty minutes with a successful person from your field. They'll give you a god's honest opinion about your work as it is, and also give you advice for presenting and marketing your work to people in your field. Bam. That's it.

Eligibility

Show Off is open to all juniors, seniors and graduate students, as well as alumni who are within six months of the date of their graduation. Others may participate with a letter of recommendation from a faculty member in your department. These letters should, in effect, let us know you have developed a body of work that is at a point of development that warrants professional feedback. Check out the Portfolio Review Quick Guide to prepare.

When does this take place?

Show Off sessions are scheduled based on the availability of visiting professionals. We work with our professional guests to find time for them to come meet you. You have to be ready to meet them when they can come. Sorry, that's how it works out there. You can check out our events schedule to see whose coming in soon.

How can I make sure I don't miss out?

If you join our mailing list , we'll email you whenever someone in your field schedules a visit. This will translate into anywhere between two and twenty chances to participate, depending on your field.

Scheduling

You must RSVP to reserve a Show Off appointment time. No walk-ins. These schedules usually fill up fairly quickly. Also, no "no shows." Call us if you can't make it. If you no-show, you'll be killed. Ok, maybe just beaten. Ok, not beaten either, but you will be at risk to lose any future privileges to participate in Show Off, portfolio production, and Industry Expert appointments. And that's bad.

Posted by mgreen at 2:24 PM

August 10, 2005

Beginning Your Design Portfolio

by Gregg Tomlinson

It's strange to think about your portfolio as being the culmination of your college career, but that's what it is. It represents all the hard work, dedication, and growth you have gone through and will soon open the door to the next stage of your life, your professional career.

Choosing the correct portfolio is the first important step. It has to properly showcase the work, which resides within. Think of your portfolio as a frame; the frame should be clean and unobtrusive, letting the work within do the talking. Ring bound sheets are a must; they allow you to move your projects around without having to deconstruct your entire portfolio. Choosing a small portfolio is a bad idea; this tends to make a very weak visual statement. Personally, I'm a big fan of the large, basic black portfolio 20 x 26 with ring bound sheets, acetate protected & black matte paper within.

If there are pockets inside your portfolio, they should contain large, sealed envelope - inside of which you should keep copies of your resume and any other leave-behind materials. Do yourself a favor, adhere the envelope to the inside of your portfolio. You'll get the portfolio all organized before your interview, and then carry the portfolio on your bike, across town on the "L", or in the backseat of your car and when you open in front of your audience, all the papers will spill out onto the table leaving a first impression of disorganization. Not a good way to start an interview.

Speaking of organization, the order in which your pieces are presented is quite important. Start out with a good strong statement, but not your strongest statement. Pick the four best samples you have; these are the pieces around which you will build your entire portfolio. Rank your pieces from most favorite to least favorite, with most favorite being #1 and least being #4 (note: if you do NOT have four pieces around which you can build your presentation, then you are going through this process way too early).

A good portfolio has a conversational flow, through which you will guide your audience. The path of the conversation is directed by the pieces themselves, so all the pieces must relate to their predecessors and successors in a logical manner. Start your portfolio with a piece that is a general, overall display of your talents (use #2 or #3): good layout, typography, imagery, all the basics. The next piece (#4) should also be a good general display, but have one item in it with which you are exceptionally pleased. For instance, typography. Take the opportunity to discuss the importance of typography briefly, and let that piece be a lead-in to your next pieces, which have a heavy textual basis. This flow can be used for any visual art form: photography, retouching, page design, the list is endless. The point here is that the portfolio has a flow and methodology, and you are the one who directs the navigation.

Somewhere between the halfway and 3/4 point thru your portfolio, you should arrive at your third anchor piece - #1. Here is your time to really shine. Discuss this piece in great detail, what you hoped to accomplish with this one, the outstanding grade you received or the freelance project you sold. Point out specific facts about parts of the project of which you are especially proud, and explain why. You should brag; but use humility at the same time. Remember, you are most likely speaking with a seasoned professional, someone who has been doing this for a long time. No matter how good you think you are, if you come across as too brash or headstrong, you will be labeled cocky. That's designer-speak for not hiring material.

The last piece in your portfolio should be your #2 or #3 piece; whichever you did not use as your opener. This is the piece where you should reinforce your skills on a particular aspect of design, and over which you will linger for a few moments while making the end of interview small talk. During this final chat, try to re-direct the conversation back to a point you brought up in your #1 piece and take the opportunity to turn pages back to this piece in your portfolio. This is the final point you make with the interviewer, leaving your best work as their lasting impression. The last two pieces they will remember will be your best two, at which point your work will speak for itself.

---

Gregg Tomlinson is the owner and principal creative at Fathead, a bybrid design and advertising agency. He's also a frequently guest portfolio review for the Portfolio Center.

Posted by mgreen at 11:36 AM

June 30, 2005

Marketing Industry Expert Wendy Lalli

Wendy began her career as a copywriter and eventually worked her way up to creative director, working for both advertising agencies and an in-house marketing department. She has won dozens of awards for campaigns selling everything from checking accounts to computers and is still frequently asked to judge award shows for the Business Marketing Association, Direct Marketing Association and other professional organizations. In 1999, Wendy became a recruiter for Paladin Staffing, interviewing and presenting copywriters, art directors and others for various positions with ad agencies, corporations and professional associations. She is currently Senior Copy Supervisor of UMarketing LLC.

A recognized authority on professional development whose articles appear frequently in the Chicago Tribune, Star, Quincy Herald and various trade publications, Wendy now specializes in career development for marketing communications specialists at all levels, career changers, students and others in transition.

Availability: Generally any weekday after 6pm.

All sessions are by appointment only. If you're interested to meet with an Industry Expert, call us at 312.369.7280 for details.

---

Q: Whoa there. What are Industry Expert sessions again?

A: It's a service provided by the Portfolio Center that pairs students with working professionals in their field. An Industry Expert helps you understand what materials to put in a portfolio (and what to leave out), how to package and present your work, and how you'll know when it's ready for prime time.

Posted by mgreen at 3:55 PM

June 5, 2005

Portfolio Power

by Wendy Lalli

If you're a copywriter or art director looking for a new position with an ad agency or marketing department, your portfolio is every bit as instrumental to getting a job as your ability to give a good interview. In fact, most hiring managers won't see you until they've seen your work. So if your book isn't good enough to impress an agency recruiter or/and creative director on its own, you may never get past the reception desk. Here are some tips on how to showcase your work to its best advantage whether you're just out of school or an award-winning veteran.

Less is more.

Keep your book to 12 or 15 pieces! Whenever possible, show campaigns of two or three ads each rather than single pieces. Quality counts! You're better off with one outstanding campaign and two others that are almost as good, than your best work plus a lot of off-strategy filler. Print ads are favored over storyboards.

The bounds of good taste.

Break-through creative is, almost by definition, unsettling. But to make sure that your work hasn't gone too far, show it to two or three other people and ask them what they think. If two out of three seem to have trouble meeting your eye, you may want to choose another campaign. An offensive campaign may be easily remembered, but to your detriment.

When you're in the room?

Good advertising should be able to stand on its own. Yet judging an ad fairly, often depends on knowing what the objective was and what obstacles or limitations the creative team had to overcome. Let's say you were asked to create an ad that would boost the hits on a client's website by 100 per cent on a total budge of $200. Keeping within budget, you created a black and white tombstone ad that exceeded the client's goal ten times over. Creative directors won't know the full story behind an ad unless you tell them.

Once you decide which campaigns to include, create a presentation sheet for each one that describes the client, your strategic objective, the concept rationale and the results of your work. Presenting this information upfront not only shows off the work better, it demonstrates just how good your communication skills really are.

Presentation skills are huge.

The sheets in your portfolio can serve as notes when you're making a verbal presentation of your work. Use them to help you explain the project's objectives and the rationale for the creative. An interview is an ideal opportunity to show how you would do in a client presentation, so the more polished you are the better.

You should also be able to tell how you came up with your ideas. Did you read 20 articles about the product on the internet, interview people who used the product, see it written in the foam in your cappuccino. Don't be afraid to tell the back-story (in brief).

Edit your book for every viewer.

If you're interviewing with a head hunter or staffing agency, your book should show a variety of products, approaches and projects. If you're interviewing directly with an agency, try to put in at least one piece (real or "spec") that's relevant to a product they might actually have as a client. Remember, a successful job search begins by marketing yourself effectively. And your portfolio should be the most powerful weapon in your arsenal.

---

Wendi Lalli is a copy supervisor and brand strategist for Lanyap. She has years of experience across a variety of communications disciplines includes marketing, advertising and public relations. She is also a portfolio advisor, available to meet marketing students by appointment.

Posted by mgreen at 3:57 PM

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